Comfortable Silence
by chromate
Summary: As a mute person, fourteen-year-old Yagami Hikari only wanted to experience a normal school life like everybody else. She didn't expect to fall in love, and she only wished she could vocalize her feelings for him. AU Takari, also Takeru/Hikari/Daisuke/Ken friendship.
1. Chapter 1: The transfer student

Summary: As a mute person, fourteen-year-old Yagami Hikari only wanted to experience a normal school life like everybody else. She didn't expect to fall in love, and she only wished she could vocalize her feelings for him. AU Takari.

Genre: Romance (Takari), Friendship (Takeru-Hikari-Daisuke-Ken), Family (Taichi-Hikari), Drama (it's junior high, after all), Humour (occasionally)

Characters: Basically, all the Chosen Children from 01 and 02 will (eventually) appear, but not all of them will play a major role in the story.

Point to note: firstly, this is an AU fic, so no digimons will appear in the story. Secondly, this is a Takari-centric story. There will also be minor Taiora and possibly Kenyako, but won't be a focus of the story. Thirdly, I don't really know a lot about mute people, so if I describe them wrongly and you know the correct way of doing so, please let me know and I will fix it. I will be glad to know if there's any way to make my description more realistic.

In Japan, a new academic year starts in March/April, so in this story when Hikari got transferred into Odaiba Junior High in May, it was just a month after the term began.

_For convenience purpose, all or Hikari's nonverbal 'words' and 'conversation' will be in italics. _

Disclaimer: This story is partly inspired by KnightAngel765's wonderful story in this fandom, '_Blind_', and partly by a one-shot manga about a deaf girl and her school life. The _Digimon_ characters are not mine, but I simply like to toy with them.

As usual, I recommend readers to read in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

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_Chapter One: The transfer student_

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The morning sun of Odaiba was rising prominently to the sky as Takaishi Takeru gave a yawn. He was on his way to school, riding on his bicycle that his father had bought for him last year. As the warm wind made contact with his face, he couldn't help but already hope for the day to end soon.

After school today he had basketball practice, and he dreaded at that thought. It wasn't like he did not like the sport: he loved it, and he was glad that the team this year had a good chance of winning the regional tournament, something that he had looked forward to since he entered Odaiba Junior High two years ago. However, their coach was much more enthusiastic about it than any of the team members that the young sensei had added many practice sessions for the team. While Takeru enjoyed playing on the court and practicing with his teammates, he was starting to get tired of it, and he was already the most patient person in the team.

Letting out a sigh, followed by another yawn, he found that he had reached Odaiba Junior High already. Putting his bicycle on the rack, the fourteen-year-old walked towards the school building, when he was greeted by a sudden slap on the back.

'Hey Daisuke, that hurts!' Without looking at his assaulter, he yelled at the boy with mahogany hair who slapped him playfully.

'As if the basketball star of Odaiba will get hurt from a soft slap like that,' the boy named Daisuke grinned and put his arm around the blond's shoulder. Takeru just stared at him, trying to play an angry face in response, but sighed when seeing that flashy grin on his face. Really, sometimes he wondered why whenever he saw that childlike grin on his friend's face, he just could not stay mad at him, even though he wasn't really bothered by the slap that much.

'It's easy to just say "good morning", you know.'

'But then he won't be Daisuke, will he?' The two boys turned to face a blue-haired boy walking towards them, wearing a small smile on his face. 'Good morning to you two.'

Takeru shook his head in defeat as Motomiya Daisuke now put his free arm around the said boy's shoulder. 'That's our Ken! He knows me better than you do, Takeru!'

Ichijouji Ken just gave a weak smile as Takeru did not bother to make a comeback comment. This was just their usual way of greeting each other in the morning, and frankly he didn't mind it that much, even though he could still feel the heat on his back that originated from Daisuke's slap. The three of them casually walked inside the school building to get to their respective lockers, when people around them, mostly girls, began to whisper agitatedly upon their arrival.

'It's those three, the most popular boys in the school!'

'I wonder if Takeru-kun will say yes if I confess to him today…'

'It's Ken-sama! It's Ken-sama! He's looking at my direction!'

'Daisuke-kun looks gorgeous today! He looks even cuter than yesterday!'

'Those three again…always causing trouble among the girls in the morning…'

The trio shared a knowing look and made their way towards their lockers. Daisuke, being the outgoing one of the three, quickly engaged in some conversation with some of the whispering and giggling girls, while Ken and Takeru tried to stay out of the spotlight and greeted some of their friends on their way. It was another morning routine that Takeru had gotten used to but still felt uncomfortable about. It didn't help that he was in the basketball team while the other two were star players in the football team. Sports seemed to have a respected status in Odaiba, and their handsome appearance made them the eye-candies of the school's female population. While Takeru was good friends with many of the girls, he just did not see any of them romantically, and he wasn't particularly anxious about dating anyone either. He was busy enough with his commitments that he did not really have time to date anyone.

After he had changed his shoes, he met up with his best friends again and they walked together to the classroom, ignoring the glances people sent them. 'Hey did you hear?' Daisuke began. As always, he was the talker of the group. 'We have a transfer student in our class today, and I heard that she's a cutie.'

Takeru was startled by the news of a transfer student. 'But isn't it May already? Why will someone change school at this time?'

'That's a good…' Daisuke cut in before Ken could continue. 'Who cares why? As long as she's a cutie, then I don't care what the reason is.' Takeru looked at Ken for help, but the blue-haired boy just smiled weakly and shook his head, as if saying 'that's the Daisuke we know'. Takeru decided it's better to let Daisuke keep talking than interjecting on his logic.

The three got into their classroom and took their seats, as the school bell rang and the teacher entered the crowded room shortly afterwards. As expected, a girl in the green school uniform was following him as Nagakawa-sensei put his stuff on the teacher's desk. The girl immediately attracted the attention of the whole class. She had short brown hair that barely reached her shoulder, and she had a red hair clip on the left side of her hair. Her developing breasts clung to the green school uniform, showing a decent curve of her body, and the green skirt showed off her long and skinny legs that attracted the males' attention. Her crimson eyes looked around the room curiously and excitedly as she gave a small smile at whoever she made eye contact with. The male population of class 3-C, with the exception of a few calm ones, began to wolf-whistle at the cute transfer student, resulting in annoyed glances sent by the girls. The new student blushed slightly, but she quickly turned to face the blackboard as Nagakawa instructed her to write her name on it. Takeru and Ken were probably the only two people who noticed that she was holding a white sketchbook in her arm.

'Settle down now!' Nagakawa was a middle-aged teacher that the students generally respected, so he did not have to yell before his students quieted down. 'Even though it's unusual for someone to transfer to another school in May, I want you all to treat our new student nicely.' He pointed at the blackboard where the new student had written down the three kanji of her name. 'This is Yagami Hikari.' The girl named Hikari bowed deeply to the class with a smile on her face. 'I expect you all to get along well.'

After that, the more outspoken boys in the class began to yell out questions regarding her status. Where was she from? Why did she transfer a month after school started? What did she see in boys? Did she have a boyfriend? All these questions made Nagakawa let out a sigh as he took a glance at Hikari, who looked startled at the questions directed at her. With a nervous smile, she calmly opened the sketchbook and revealed a page with neatly-written characters that instantly silenced the whole class.

'_I am mute. I cannot talk.'_

Ken raised an eyebrow and Takeru widened his eyes. That was why the girl was carrying a sketchbook with her when she entered the classroom, and why she looked flustered when the boys looked at her expectantly after throwing out their questions at her. Hikari seemed fazed by the silence of the classroom, and she quickly flipped over to the other page to reveal another phrase that she had prepared ahead of time, and had an almost apologetic smile on her face.

'_I hope we get along well for the rest of the year.'_

'As you can see, Yagami is a special student here. She has been studying in a special institution for a while, so treat her nicely and let her have a good time here.' Nagakawa used his index finger to lift his glasses, observing his students' reaction to this news. Most looked shocked still, and only a few more mature ones seemed to accept it right away with an understanding nod. Nagakawa mentally sighed. He knew that it would be hard for some teenagers to accept studying with a transfer student who couldn't express herself well, and it would be difficult for teachers as well. Yet then, everyone deserved an equal opportunity for education, right? He had 'talked' to Hikari several times before today, and he knew the girl was determined to live a normal life like people of her age. He couldn't really upset the girl.

'Yagami, you can take a seat next to Takaishi over there.' He directed the brown-haired brunette's glance towards the back of the classroom, where a blond was sitting by the window. There was an empty seat next to him, and she assumed that the teenager with blond hair was the one Nagakawa was referring to. She wondered if dyeing one's hair blond was even allowed in junior high, but she decided to keep that to herself. She bowed to Nagakawa politely and began to move towards the blond. She grabbed her sketchbook and bag, and began to proceed towards the back of the classroom.

Takeru had been watching the transfer student carefully, noticing each of her subtle changes in expression as she was being introduced to the class. He had to admit she was rather attractive, a 'cutie', as Daisuke had said before class. Her petite figure and the sincere smile on her face made her look even more adorable, but there was something that bothered Takeru the moment the girl walked into the classroom. She was holding a white sketchbook, and he could see a glint of fear and worry in her crimson eyes. While the fourteen-year-old reckoned that it was understandable to get nervous on the first day of class in a new environment, as he could tell from his own experience, he found it weird that her tiny fingers were grabbing the white sketchbook and tapping on it nervously. He only realized why when she showed the class the page with her handwriting on it, along with Nagakawa's explanation later on.

So she was mute. She couldn't talk. She wouldn't be able to talk. Takeru couldn't imagine what that would be like. While he didn't speak as much as Daisuke did, he could still vocalize his opinions when he had to. Being unable to explain yourself was a terrible thing, he thought, and he immediately pitied the girl named Yagami Hikari. It didn't help that the whole class turned silent as Hikari showed them what she wanted to _say_. She looked startled by the quietness that was partly created by her, and he could see her fingers began to nervously tap in the sketchbook again.

When Nagakawa announced that she was to sit next to him, he mentally prepared himself to greet the girl who was trying to avoid the curious and suspicious glances sent by his classmates. He did not really blame them, but he also thought they didn't realize they were building the pressure on her shoulders. So when Yagami arrived at her seat, to the right of his desk, he swallowed the liquid in his mouth cavity and smiled gently at the girl.

'I'm Takaishi Takeru,' he said as he extended his right arm towards the brown-haired brunette, 'nice to meet you, Yagami-san.'

He immediately felt stupid as the girl stared at his arm. Having grown up in Europe, he was used to the customary Western practice of shaking hands with people you first met. He always seemed to forget that it was not the case in Japan, as he noticed everyone was looking at him oddly. Daisuke was trying to suppress his laughter at the awkward moment his friend had created, and Ken looked at him with understanding sympathy in his eyes.

Takeru wished he could dig a hole and hide himself in the ground now.

He felt the heat growing in his cheeks, and he was about to retreat his hand when Hikari reached for it and shook it softly, silently giggling and covering her mouth with her free, left hand. The faint blush on her cheeks was visible to him. Although he couldn't hear any mocking laughter from her, as she could not make any sound, he could feel the warmth in her smile. It was not a teasing one, but a sincere and honest smile that showed she really appreciated his effort.

She quickly let go of his hand and turned over her sketchbook to a blank page, taking out her mechanical pencil in the meantime and quickly scribbled something on the white paper. She then pushed the sketchbook towards Takeru's desk, and gestured for him to read the content.

'_Nice to meet you too! Please just call me Hikari.' _

Takeru, no longer feeling awkward, let out a sigh of relief and returned her favour with a smile and a reassuring nod. Their first class started soon afterwards, and everyone turned their attention to Nagakawa, who began a lecture on the problems of algebra they had learnt yesterday. Takeru's mind, however, did not dwell on which equation should be used to solve the equation, but on what he could do to make his new companion have a fruitful school life, and to keep that small, warm smile on her pretty, lovable face.

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_End of Chapter One_

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I'll slowly provide more background information of each character as the story goes on, with particular emphasis on Takeru and Hikari's background. Please kindly review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2: The Golden Trio

Thanks a lot for the reviews/favourites/alerts on Chapter 1! I'm really glad that many people are interested in this story, and every email I received makes my day brighter!

Here on to chapter 2!

As usual, I recommend people to read in ½ page size to give off the feeling of reading a book.

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_Chapter 2: The Golden Trio_

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'Takaishi, you are to show Yagami around the campus during recess and lunchtime.'

That was the order Nagakawa gave the fourteen-year-old, although Takeru knew he would have done so without the middle-aged man instructing him to. It was now lunchtime, and he and Hikari had agreed that he would show her around the campus once they finished their lunch together.

He planned on giving her the tour during recess first, but he forgot how curious his classmates could be. Before he could even ask, many boys already surrounded the brown-haired brunette and threw random questions at her, just like they did in the morning. Some girls also joined in and tried to shove off the boys, and poor Hikari could only smile weakly at the attention she was getting. She tried her best to communicate with her new classmates, quickly scribbling words on her sketchbook for each question she was asked, or giving simple gestures to indicate her answers. Some found this way of communication troubling and walked away with a sneer, but many remained and kept her occupied until the end of recess.

So when the bell rang, signalling the beginning of the one-hour lunchtime, Takeru showed Hikari the way to the rooftop, with Daisuke and Ken following them. Hikari thought she heard some murmuring when they all left the classroom together, but she did not ask why. Takeru introduced the mahogany-haired boy with spiky hairstyle to her as Motomiya Daisuke, the captain of the school's football team, and the blue-haired boy as Ichijouji Ken, the vice-captain. From the other boys she learned that Takeru was the captain of the basketball team, and she was amused that she was spending lunch with three sport stars of the school. Daisuke did most of the talking, however, and she listened genuinely to them as they talked about what she should pay attention to or ill-tempered teachers she should be aware of, causing the brown-haired girl to laugh at their description of how horrible some teachers could be.

Once they arrived at the rooftop, the blond let out a sigh of relief and sat on the corner, where Hikari meekly followed suit and took out her lunchbox.

'Wow, they look really nice, Hikari-chan!' Daisuke stared at the food content of her pink lunchbox and visibly drooled, causing his two best friends to roll their eyes at his informal address of the girl he just met. There were some well-prepared onigiri with different flavour, and Hikari blushed slightly at Daisuke's comment.

'Don't make her uncomfortable, Dai.' Takeru snorted as he grabbed a bite of his own sandwich.

'I'm not making her uncomfortable! I'm just saying her lunch looks delicious!'

'Don't mind Dai, Hikari-san,' Ken offered as he shook his head with a kind smile. 'He has a big mouth that says whatever comes to his mind.'

'If he even has one, that is.'

'Hey, I hear that, blondie!'

Hikari couldn't help but smile at the interaction of the three boys. Although they were arguing, she could tell that they were really good friends. She picked up one onigiri from her lunchbox and handed it to Daisuke, tilting her head to one side, as if asking 'do you want to have one?' Takeru and Ken stared, and Daisuke just blinked.

'You mean…I can have it?' He carefully asked, not really sure if that's what the girl meant. It was only after seeing her nod that he beamed widely and took the onigiri and put it in his mouth. 'Oishii!' He exclaimed and had a very satisfied smile on his face. 'Did you make it yourself?' He asked, and Hikari timidly nodded, a pink flush on her cheeks from the attention the boys were giving her. She grabbed another two from her lunchbox and handed them to the other two boys, who were reluctant to accept at first. 'You need to eat too, right?' 'We're not as hungry as Dai is.' But they accepted it at Hikari's persistence, and they also complimented on how tasty the onigiri were.

While they were eating, they also learned that Hikari always cooked at home since her mother was a terrible cook, and her father and older brother would rather let her, the youngest in the family, cook, than had another taste of her mother's horrible cooking. The conversation became a discussion of each family's cooking quality, and Hikari noticed there was a glint of hesitance in Takeru's voice when the blond talked about how his parents were always busy that he also cooked his meals most of the time, along with the worry in Daisuke and Ken's eyes, but she decided not to press on that matter.

During the whole conversation, Hikari was somewhat relieved, and to an extent surprised, that the three boys did not ask her about her condition. She thought they would be curious to know why a mute girl would transfer to their school, but every time the conversation was leading that way Takeru or Ken would quickly change the topic. Hikari figured that they might be trying to give her some space before opening up to them, since this wasn't the kind of topic one would discuss with anyone, and she was thankful for their thoughtfulness.

After lunch Daisuke and Ken had to meet with their football coach to discuss some team matters, so Hikari was left with Takeru who showed her around the school campus. She didn't realize the school was that big before, having many clubrooms for afterschool extra-curricular activities, and also a large football pitch for team practice. She also noticed that a lot of people seemed to be looking at the blond standing next to her as he gave descriptions of what the rooms were used for. Most of them were girls, and he looked a bit uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving, but when she tugged his shirt and looked at him with concerned eyes, as if asking what was wrong, he would just shrug and gave her a smile, and kept going with the tour. She wondered why the boy seemed to be so mysterious at times, even though he was generally friendly and kind.

She took out her digital camera to take pictures of all sceneries that Takeru showed her. After taking endless amount of photos, Takeru chuckled.

'Why are you taking so many pictures of the school?' He asked as the girl snapped another shot of the basketball court that they had just arrived at. He found it amusing that she acted like the school was some kind of famous scenic spot, when he never really spared another look at the sight. 'It's not like they will disappear tomorrow,' he casually added.

However, he did not expect Hikari to have a small, painful smile on her face as she wrote down her response on her sketchbook.

'_You never know what will happen. Besides, it'll be easier too if I have to ask for directions to a certain place.'_

Takeru suddenly felt guilty, for he thought he might have hit a spot that the girl was trying to avoid. She looked uneasy as he casually raised that question, and he now realized why. It wasn't easy for her to adapt to an environment where everyone could easily vocalize their mind. It was like being a black sheep among a crowd of fluffy white lambs. Something might have happened in the past that caused her to treasure each moment so much. He mentally smacked himself for how insensitive he was, and he needed to say something to break this sudden, unbearably tense silence.

'Hey, you know what?' He turned to the girl who didn't seem bothered by his previous question, or at least she was trying to pretend that she didn't care, Takeru thought. 'We have a match tomorrow after school here.' He pointed at the empty basketball court. 'It'll be the first game of the season. You should come watch the game. Dai and Ken will be here too.'

The crimson-eyed girl looked at him, and Takeru could not read her expression. Again, he felt like he had done something stupid. She probably already had some other plans, and she was trying to figure out a polite way of declining your offer, he thought. Hikari took out her pink mechanical pencil and wrote on a blank page of her sketchbook and showed it to him.

'_Can my older brother come too? He used to study here, and he won't let me walk home by myself afterwards.'_

He nodded, remembering how overprotective her brother was, based on her description during their conversation beforehand, when they asked about her family. Having an older brother himself, he could understand why Hikari's brother seemed to overreact whenever something happened to her.

'_Sure then! I'll come and watch the game!'_

He didn't know why, but he felt his lips curved upwards to form a grin.

'It's a promise, then. If you don't come I'll get mad at you, and you'll lose your first friend at this school.' He teased with a sly grin, and Hikari silently giggled at his silly request. She knew he meant well, though, and she also thought that it would be a good chance for her to experience her school life like other normal students did. That was what she had been hoping for when she begged for her parents to let her enrol into Odaiba Junior High, and what she tried to tell the headmaster and Nagakawa when she met them. While being mute meant she couldn't talk, she wanted to live a normal life like any other person of her age did. She wasn't going to let her disability affect her life that much.

'_There's something I want to ask you.'_

Takeru nodded for her to continue.

'_Why is everyone looking at you when we were walking around the campus?_

Takeru's face darkened a bit, but he quickly recovered from it and he ruffled his messy blond hair, thinking of what to say to the girl who had an innocently curious expression on her face. It was not something that he liked to brag about, but he also reckoned that she would learn about it eventually. He sighed and sat down, his eyes observing the basket on the other side of the court. Hikari followed suit, feeling that this would not be a short conversation.

'People here call me, Dai and Ken "the golden trio",' he spoke with an irritated tone that Hikari did not fail to notice. 'It has something to do with us being the key players of our sports team. We are…' Takeru struggled for a second to find the right word for his sentence, '…some sort of idols, I guess. They think we're special and treat us differently.'

Hikari recalled the murmurs she heard when leaving the classroom and the glances she received when Takeru was showing her around the school campus. They did look at the three boys differently, as if they were some kind of sacred beings that they dared not approach. She tried to connect the dots together, and she thought she knew why. Her brother had mentioned that Odaiba Junior High was a school that valued sports a lot, so with them being the leaders of their respective teams meant they were constantly under the spotlight. Hikari could understand why the girls looked at them in awe, and some boys looked at them with envy burning in their eyes.

'I really don't like the attention that we're getting, to be honest,' Takeru rested his elbows on the ground as he leaned backward, sighing while looking at the ceiling aimlessly. 'It's annoying. It is as if we are nothing but sports stars, and somehow that is a big deal. That's why we don't have many friends.'

That statement startled Hikari. From what she observed, although Takeru did not interact with others as much as Daisuke did, she saw him talking and laughing with many classmates beforehand. She couldn't really believe that he, seemingly one of the most popular boys in the school, would not have many friends.

'Don't get me wrong,' Takeru interrupted her thoughts, seeing her widened eyes. 'I know many people and I talk to them, but a friend is…different, you know? Friends are not the same as acquaintances.' He sighed again. 'That's why I hang out with Dai and Ken a lot, because they feel the same. We don't like to be seen as some kind of heroes just because we play our sports. We don't like to be treated differently.'

Hikari studied the blond in front of her carefully. His ocean blue eyes showed a glint of sadness that she did not like. She didn't know him well enough to say if his concern was a legitimate one, but then she also felt sad that a fourteen-year-old had to worry about things like that. Shouldn't they just enjoy their school life and have fun with their friends? Should a junior high student think about things negatively like that? She couldn't really understand it, for she had always thought that going to school would be fun. Takeru's story seemed to tell her that she had been naïve all along about that matter.

Still, she wanted to go to a 'normal' school because she wanted to be a 'normal' junior high student. It made her frown to see her first friend in school with that dark, sullen expression on his face.

'Sorry for saying such gloomy things to you,' Takeru detected that her eyes had turned sorrowful, and he bit his lips. 'Forget about what I said. It's not that important, really. It's just that you'll hear that expression and rumours about us soon.' He rose from his position and read his watch. 'It's almost the end of lunchtime now, so I think we should head back to the classroom.' He gave her a reassuring smile that meant to lift her spirit, for he didn't want to ruin her first day of school by telling her about his personal issue with trusting people.

However, Hikari responded by tugging his sleeves, causing him to turn around to face her, and showing him the words she had just written on her sketchbook, with a small but sincere smile on her face.

'_I don't want to be just someone you will talk to, Takeru-kun. _

'_I want to be your friend.'_

He didn't know what expression he had on his face when he read those words. To say he was startled would be an understatement, but at that moment he felt a rush of warm emotions filling his stomach. A small gesture like that was enough to lift the corners of his lips, and the genuine smile on her face also told him that she really meant it. She did not want to be just someone he knew in life; rather, she wanted to be someone he could trust if he ever needed a shoulder to lean on.

Their moment was interrupted when Daisuke and Ken spotted them and urged them to go back to the classroom. As Daisuke complained to Hikari about how boring their next lesson was going to be, Takeru walked behind them slowly, with his eyes staring at Hikari's back, and Ken was aware of the unreadable expression on his friend's face.

'What's wrong, Takeru?' He asked in a kind voice, and he made sure that he whispered it softly so that Hikari could not hear him. The subtle frown of his friend did not escape from his eyesight. The blue-haired teenager knew that something must have happened for him to act that way, and it seemed plausible that the brown-haired girl was the reason why he had that odd look on his face. 'Did something happen between you and Hikari-san?'

To his surprise, the blond sounded very calm. 'Nothing, Ken.' He put his hands in the pockets of his trousers, and looked at the girl walking in front of her. 'I just think that she's different from others.'

Hikari seemed to take notice of their glances, and turned her head to face them and smile warmly. From the corner of his eyes Ken saw Takeru's lips form an upward curve. What caught his attention was that there was something different in his smile. It was a sincere one that he seldom saw the blond wear on his face when facing people he just met.

Ken just gave a knowing look at the mute girl, and then at his friend who didn't notice his glance but who kept his eyes on the girl walking in front. Seeing that brought a tiny smile to his face

* * *

As her first school day came to an end, Hikari let out a sigh and quietly packed her stuff. She waved politely at her classmates who were leaving the classroom, and smiled at Takeru, Ken and Daisuke, who had to attend to their respective teams' practice, as they left in a hurry. She took her stuff and found her way towards the school entrance, where her older brother had promised to wait for her after school.

She was glad that she got along with her classmates and became good friends with 'the golden trio' on her first day of school. After knowing they were sports players, Hikari worried for a moment that they would be prideful boys who talked about nothing but their achievement, but they seemed to be friendly people who did not mind waiting for her slow response to their conversation.

She inwardly giggled at how different those three were. Daisuke was passionate and loud, but a caring person at heart. Ken was kind and polite, and very observant. And then there was Takeru. She was still trying to figure out what the blond was like. On the surface he was warm and genial, but his dark expression during their lunch break and his monologue at the basketball court made the fourteen-year-old wonder if he had a deeper side than she thought.

With a distance from the school entrance, she spotted a tall, brown-haired boy with spiky hairstyle leaning by the gate, his hands placed casually in the pocket of his school coat. Some looked at him with a curious glance, for he was wearing the uniform of Odaiba Senior High, but he just ignored them. She beamed and sprinted towards the standing figure, who was watching other students leaving the school and did not expect her to jump into his arms, causing him to take a few steps back with his eyes widened.

'Woah, Hikari! You scared me!' The boy gasped, but he quickly recovered and held the girl in his arm protectively. Hikari giggled and clung to his arm affectionately. 'How was first day of school, my dear imouto-chan?'

'_Very nice.'_ She made a hand gesture as she settled herself and the two began to walk away from the white school building. _'I made some friends, and they are very nice to me.'_

'That's good.' Yagami Taichi grinned and raffled his sister's hair playfully, earning a pout from the crimson-eyed girl. His expression turned serious in the next second, however. 'Did anyone make fun of your condition? And don't lie to me, Hikari. You know that I know when you're lying.'

Hikari looked at her brother and sighed, knowing that it would be futile to lie to her older brother. '_There were some who looked at me strangely, or avoided talking to me, but most of my classmates were nice and they were willing to talk to me.'_ Seeing the frown on his face made her feel guilty about revealing this to him. It wasn't his fault that she was in such a situation, and if anyone was to be blamed it would be herself. She didn't like it when what happened to her got her brother worried.

She continued to use sign language to communicate with her older brother, who was giving death glare at people who had an odd expression on their faces as they passed by. 'What are you looking at?' He yelled at some of them, who kept staring at Hikari as if she was some kind of endangered species. Hikari frowned and sighed, and she tugged Taichi's sleeves weakly. '_Don't worry, onii-chan. I'm fine.' _Really, it wasn't like she had not encountered worse before. In fact, she was already used to people giving weird glances at her, and she decided not to tell Taichi about the uncomfortable silence in the classroom when she 'announced' to the class that she was mute.

'At least you have Nagakawa to be your class teacher. I know he doesn't judge people…' Taichi mumbled under his breath, and Hikari desperately wanted to change the topic. She loved Taichi, but she was hoping sometimes their conversation would focus less on her condition and more on other stuff. Suddenly, she recalled her conversation with Takeru during lunchtime.

'_Do you want to watch the school's basketball game with me tomorrow?'_ Taichi was not surprised that his sister changed the topic, but he was a bit taken aback by her request. 'Basketball? Hikari, I never knew you're into that sport.'

'_A friend invited me to go watch the game. It's after school tomorrow,'_ she kept moving her tiny hands in the air as they were getting closer to their apartment, _'and I know that you won't let me walk home by myself afterwards.'_

Taichi couldn't help but chuckle at her last statement. 'You know that I don't mind doing this for my cute imouto-chan. At least, until I start to get busy with football practice at school.'

They turned another corner and their apartment building was in their sight now. 'So, a guy invited you.'

That wasn't a question, but a firm statement that Hikari could hear the venom in his tone, and she just had to laugh. _'Unless you want me to have no social life at all, then yes, it's a boy.'_

She didn't bother to listen to Taichi's elaboration of how she was too young to start dating, or how teenage boys were just after her looks and would eventually break her heart. All she could think about was that tomorrow she got to see her friend play, not to mention that Takeru would get mad if she didn't come! Thinking about that brought a smile to her face, and she could not wait for tomorrow to come.

* * *

_End of Chapter 2_

* * *

In case anyone is wondering, there won't be any Daikari romance in this fic. Any Daikari moment is purely on friendship basis. This is a Takari, after all. There won't be character bashing too.

This chapter is actually a rather awkward one, in the sense that it can be merged with the first chapter or the next one and still won't disturb the flow of the story that much. But then, I don't want each chapter to be excessively long, so I decided to separate them. This chapter, along with the first chapter and the coming one, is more on providing minor clues that will contribute much to characters development and help move the plot forward, so please bear with me if you think the development is rather slow.

I've roughly got the whole story planned out, and seemingly it will be longer than I thought. Right now I'm thinking there will be at least 15 chapters in total, but will depend on how reception goes and if I want to change anything about the plot later. The point is, the development will be rather slow, compared to my other stories, so please be patient if you're anxiously looking for intimate Takari moment. They will come eventually, but just not that soon. This chapter and the next focus more on Takeru's character and background, and then we'll see more of Hikari's. Based on what I have now, Miyako and Iori will make their appearance on chapter four.

I'll be busy writing my research paper these two weeks, so the next update will probably be a bit late. Hopefully I will have time to upload the next chapter in a fortnight, but I can't say for sure. Anyway, I hope you'll stay tuned for it! And please review to let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Here Comes the Blond

I'm so relieved to have finished my research paper, after a cup of coffee and a caffeine pill. Now, here's chapter 3 as promised (lame title, I know, but I couldn't think of any that fits this chapter).

As I'm posting at this time, allow me to send my condolences to victims of the Boston Marathon Explosion. One of my closest friends was volunteering in the marathon, and he was only miles away from the explosion site. I was frightened when I first heard the news, and I am really glad he was not injured.

Anyway, to the new chapter.

As always, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 3: Here Comes the Blond_

* * *

The arena was packed with hundreds of students after normal lessons ended. The cheering team was fully dressed and prepared to do their show, while the basketball team members of Odaiba Junior High and their opponent were warming up in the court. It was easy to spot Takaishi Takeru among the other players. After all, he was the only one with natural blond hair, and a group of his loyal supporters, consisting of a large female population of the school, kept yelling his name in support. The boy looked visibly annoyed, but he quietly focused on his warm-up. After all, this was the first game of the season. It was always nice to have a good start.

'Hikari-chan, over here!' Daisuke, who was sitting among the spectators, waved and yelled to catch the brown-haired girl's attention. She responded by waving back, while tugging the arm of a tall, brown-haired teenage boy in senior high uniform.

'You must be Hikari-san's brother,' Ken stood and politely bowed towards the male newcomer. They split with Hikari after class so they could get seats first, while Hikari went to get her brother that she had said would come today. 'I'm Ichijouji Ken, and this is my friend Motomiya Daisuke.' He introduced himself and his companion, and Hikari smiled proudly at her brother, as if saying, _'See? No need to worry. I can make friends just fine.' _

'I'm Yagami Taichi. Thanks for taking care of my little sister.' Taichi nodded towards the two boys. Upon hearing his name, the two boys froze and shared a look at each other. Hikari wondered what was wrong, before her two friends turned to look at Taichi in awe.

'Yagami Taichi, the legendary football player that scored a hat-trick on the final game three years again that won Odaiba the regional championship?'

'The one who only played in his last year of junior high, but quickly became the MVP of every match since he joined the team?'

'The one who broke the record of most goals scored in a season?'

'Wow, you two seem to know me better than myself.' Taichi laughed as the two boys quickly regained their composure and apologized for their rude outbursts. 'We're both from the football team, and we hear a lot about your achievement, Taichi-senpai.' Ken said respectfully.

'I'm the captain this year, and Ken is the vice-captain.' Daisuke added, now shaking Taichi's hand frantically, causing the seventeen-year-old to roll his eyes while Hikari raised her eyebrows. She knew her brother was good at playing football, and she had watched his games back then, but she didn't know he was that famous. 'Remember Coach Tsumoto? He keeps saying that this year we may have a chance to win the regional again. That means repeating what Taichi-senpai you have achieved three years ago!' Taichi laughed again and joined the two in a conversation about football, quickly bonding with the two juniors in a way that he did not expect.

Hikari watched the scene in amusement. She didn't know people of her year would still know Taichi's name. And her new friends _loved_ him! It also surprised her that Taichi would get along with them so well. _Boys and football_, she mused and turned her attention to the basketball court. The game was about to start, and she spotted Takeru sitting on the bench, taking a sip of his water, and he looked up to meet her gaze. She waved happily, and Takeru waved back with a smile on his face.

A roar of Takeru's name suddenly reached her eardrums. She turned towards the direction of the voice, and found a group of girls sitting in the stand behind the basket. They looked like a cheering team of their own, but wasn't the cheering team in the court already? It was then that Hikari realized they were from Takeru's fan club, for they were all screaming Takeru's name and voicing words of affection towards the only blond in the court. Some even looked at her with anger in their eyes, for Takeru had just waved at a girl that they did not know. The opposition team members looked amused, and some of Takeru's teammates laughed at Takeru's embarrassed face and poked fun at him. Hikari silently giggled too, seeing how helpless the boy looked. She now had a better idea of what Takeru said yesterday regarding his status in school.

Maybe that was why he got annoyed by it, for the girls never stopped cheering for him even after the match had begun. Whenever Takeru got the ball, the whole arena would explode in cheers, and Hikari could tell Takeru was trying his best to ignore the chants of his name and just focused on the game.

Hikari couldn't help but find his posture mesmerizing. She couldn't explain why, but he looked very different when he was engaging in the game. His concentration was high, and he wasn't a selfish player either: sometimes even when he had the chance to shoot, he would pass the ball to a teammate who was in a better position. Whenever he bent his arm elegantly to make a shot, Hikari found herself holding her breath, and only the sound of the orange ball going through the basket net made her let out a sigh of joy.

Truly, she had never enjoyed watching a basketball game that much before.

'Wow, your friend is really good, Hikari.' Taichi did not know much about basketball, but he could tell that scoring two-fifths of your team's points was something of an achievement. Also, he had played enough sports to know that Takeru had great vision on the field. The way he passed the ball reminded him of the playmaker position of a football team. There was no doubt that he was the ace of the team.

'That explains how he got so many fan girls over there,' Daisuke smirked and pointed at the group behind the basket, who finally stopped yelling and was taking a break themselves. 'Everyone was charmed by the "Prince of Basketball."'

'It's the same thing that happens to us when we have our football match, Dai,' Ken said, shooting a sympathetic glance at Takeru's direction. 'Actually no,' the blue-haired boy mused, as he noticed several girls sitting nearby were stealing glances at him and Daisuke too whenever they were not watching Takeru. At least, he was grateful that they did not invade their private space now. 'I bet it was the same for you back then, Taichi-senpai?'

'Of course,' Taichi said proudly, causing Hikari to roll her eyes. However, unbeknownst to his sister, Taichi's attention was not entirely on the fond memory he had in this school, but on the blond that was shining in the court.

'Why does the school allow your friend to dye his hair?' Taichi asked, and Hikari turned her head to look at her two friends, waiting for a response. She wondered about the same thing yesterday, when she first met the boy sitting next to her in the classroom, yet she never got to ask him about it. Ken looked entertained by the question while Daisuke laughed loudly.

'Dye his hair? That is his natural hair colour.' He said. The Yagami sibling looked at him disbelievingly. 'Really, that's true. Takeru's mother is half-French. His grandparents live in Paris now.'

Taichi thought about his kouhai's words. There was something about the boy that Taichi felt familiar about. He at first thought it might be due to the blond hair he had, as there weren't many people with natural blond hair around, but it was those eyes on his face that stood out and bothered him. It was the same pair of ocean blue eyes that he had seen before…

'Ishida…' Taichi unconsciously muttered, and Hikari was confused by her brother's whisper.

'Ishida?' Daisuke echoed, looking at his senpai. 'Oh, you know Takeru's brother?'

'His brother?'

'Yea, his brother, Ishida Yamato.'

Now that confirmed his suspicion. Taichi thought he might be imagining it, but there was no mistake that he could see traces of Ishida Yamato on that Takeru's face. He frowned and his expression darkened for a second, but Hikari was busy writing on her sketchbook that she didn't notice the change in her brother's countenance.

'_But isn't Takeru's last name Takaishi?'_

It was an innocent question, for she really did not understand. However, Daisuke immediately held back his tongue, and Ken smacked him on the head. Hikari blinked, and Taichi also listened intently to the conversation his sister was having.

'Don't say that we tell you about it,' Ken warned, as Daisuke looked guilty now. Ken was aware that Takeru seemed to like Hikari, or at least he was fond of the girl, which was still unusual for the blond since he was never close to strangers he just met. Besides, knowing that Taichi was Hikari's brother made him feel safe about talking this issue to them. After all, Taichi was the idol of every football team member of the school. 'Takeru's parents got a divorce when he was five, and he lives with his mother while Yamato-san lives with the father. That's why their last names are different.'

Seeing the brown-haired girl gasp, he waited for a second before continuing. 'His mother and he then moved to France and he spent his childhood in Europe, living in Paris for three years, in Bordeaux for a year, then in Rome for two. A couple of years ago, Natsuko-san, his mother, got transferred to work in Japan, so Takeru moved back here when he was twelve, and that was when we met him during our first year in Odaiba Junior High.'

Hikari recalled that Takeru offered her a handshake when they first met in the classroom. Indeed, that seemed like something Europeans would do, based on the foreign movies she had watched.

'Don't mention this to him, though,' Daisuke added. 'A part of Takeru is still very, and I mean _very_, aware of the fact that he does not share the same last name as his father and his brother, and he isn't too happy about it. He won't talk about it to anyone unless he wants to.'

Hikari pondered on her impression of the basketball player and his issue with trusting people. At first she thought maybe he was just annoyed that he was always the centre of attention, given his reputation in the school, but now she thought it could be that the divorce meant much more to him than others imagined, and that had a huge impact on him. Furthermore, he had to adapt to a totally different environment than Europe when he got back here. Maybe he wasn't too used to the Japanese culture here? She also recalled the conversation they had during lunchtime, when Takeru's facial expression darkened during the discussion of who was in charge of cooking in the family. The fourteen-year-old now felt guilty about bringing up that topic. It must have been a really sensitive topic to him.

She looked at Takeru, who just made another assist to a teammate and who was beaming at him for the wonderful shot. Just in two days, she felt like she had seen many sides of the boy, and she did not know which one the real him was.

'Do you know Yamato-san, Taichi-senpai?' Daisuke carefully asked. Hikari could sense the hint of worry in his tone, and the mahogany-haired boy looked hesitant in asking the question. Taichi did not answer right away, and only opened his mouth after a few seconds.

'Sort of' was his reply, and none of the three junior high students felt the urge to press him on that matter. They refocused their attention back on the game, and cheered when the final whistle was blown. Odaiba snatched an easy victory of seventy-four to forty-one, with Takeru scoring twenty-six points and providing eleven assists. Takeru shook hands with his opponents, then, ignoring his fans that kept screaming his name, looked up to the stand and found his friends. He waved with a satisfied grin on his face, and they waved back.

'We're going to meet up with Takeru,' Ken started as they, along with other spectators, prepared to leave the stand. 'Do you two want to tag along?'

Hikari turned to look at her brother, asking for approval. Taichi sighed. Although he wasn't too thrilled to meet with Ishida's younger brother in person, he knew Hikari wanted to strengthen her bond with her new friends. So he shrugged and let Daisuke and Ken lead the way to the back of the school, away from the gymnasium. Taichi recognized this place, but wondered why they were brought here.

'People seldom come here, so we usually hang out here after our matches to avoid the fan girls.' Ken calmly explained, sensing Taichi's confusion, as they now sat under a tall tree in the backyard of the school, away from the basketball court. Taichi watched as Hikari tried to converse with the two boys. While it took time for her to write on her sketchbook, since they did not know any sign language, they did not look annoyed by it, and only patiently waited for her to finish. Inwardly, Taichi was glad that these two boys who admired him were nice people, and he felt like he probably could trust them with his little sister. As Hikari giggled at a comment Ken made, Taichi smiled, glad to know that his sister was able to enjoy a normal school life like others did.

'Sorry for being late.' A voice came from his back, and Taichi turned back to face the pair of ocean blue eyes that he very much wanted to avoid. Takeru studied Taichi for a minute, then he gave a polite nod and a small smile.

'You must be Hikari-san's older brother,' he stretched out his hand at the older boy, 'I'm Takaishi Takeru. I sit next to Hikari-san in class.'

Taichi stared, a bit taken aback by his formality, but he shook his hand nonetheless. 'How do you know I am Hikari's brother?'

Takeru chuckled slightly, then raised a finger and pointed at the top of his head, then at Hikari's. 'Your hair colour is the same,' he said as he took a seat next to Daisuke, 'and Hikari-san mentioned that her older brother would come to watch the game too. I hope you enjoyed it.'

'It's a good game.' Taichi politely responded, as he really thought the kid was good at the sport. 'You scored a lot and helped your team create many chances too. You're a good playmaker.'

Takeru raised his eyebrows at the way Taichi talked. It was as if he was analyzing his performance like sports commentators did. Ken laughed at his friend's startled expression and told him that Taichi was actually from that legendary football team three years ago.

'It's a horrible game,' Daisuke suddenly interjected, and the Yagami siblings looked at him, stunned. 'You're showing off too much, Takeru. Pass the damn ball more.' Taichi and Hikari looked at him disbelievingly. Even though they did not know much about basketball, they could tell that Takeru had just had a brilliant game. How could he say that he played poorly?

Ken laughed again. He felt like he had to explain everything to everyone today. 'This is just Daisuke's way of saying "you played well" to Takeru,' he continued as Takeru just playfully wrapped his arm around Daisuke's neck and tightened his grip, forcing a yelp out of the spiky-haired boy. 'It's the same kind of teasing we use against each other after every game.'

Hikari seemed to be fascinated by the deep bond of friendship between the two, as Daisuke complained with a pout while Takeru kept laughing. It was a real laugh, she could tell, and not a fake one that he sometimes had when chatting with other people at school. That only added another layer of mystery to the Takeru she knew. Taichi, however, seemed to find them too friendly for his taste.

'You two are not…you know?' He pointed at the blond and the mahogany-haired. Both looked at Taichi, then at each other with a knowing look, and smirked. They knew what he was implying, but they did not seem disgusted by his statement, like Taichi had expected them to.

'You mean are we gay?' Takeru said he let go out his grip on Daisuke's neck. Hikari immediately blushed and elbowed Taichi in the stomach. Frantically, she gestured to Taichi, _'you shouldn't be rude, onii-chan!' _

Takeru, watching Hikari and Taichi closely, took Daisuke's hand and raised it to his face's level. Slowly, he placed a soft kiss on the back of the boy's hand. Hikari's flushed cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red and Taichi looked horrified, surprised by the sudden display of affection. Takeru couldn't hold himself anymore and burst out laughing at the two's reaction. Daisuke and Ken were also holding their stomach as they struggled to keep their hysterical laughter to themselves. The expression on Taichi and Hikari's faces was priceless.

'We seem to be getting that a lot lately, right Dai? Ken?' The two kept laughing as they nodded. 'The three of us always hang out together, and sometimes people think that since we don't have any girlfriends the three of us must be somehow involved.' Daisuke sighed as he scratched his head. 'You're not the first to say that, so don't worry.'

'So…you're not?'

'You never know,' Takeru said as he winked at Taichi, who again looked appalled, earning another laugh from the three boys sitting together. It took them some time to convince Taichi that they really were just playing with him.

Hikari didn't know what to do with the blond. Sometimes he could be cheerful like this, playing a harmless prank at someone he just got to know, yet she couldn't forget the serious side of him that had bothered her since lunchtime yesterday. How could someone have such contradicting personality? Hikari couldn't understand, but she now found herself very interested in the blond.

They continued to talk for a while until they realized it was nearly six-thirty in the evening, and the school gate was about to close soon. They gathered their things and proceeded to leave. Daisuke and Ken had to catch the bus so they left first, waving them goodbye, while Daisuke made sure Taichi would come to watch their upcoming football game and give them some advice. Hikari gestured to Taichi that she needed to go to the bathroom, so that left Taichi and Takeru standing by the school gate, with Taichi leaning on one side and Takeru getting his bicycle ready.

'Taichi-senpai, there's something I want to ask you.'

Taichi turned to look at the blond who really resembled the Ishida Yamato he knew, but that Takeru seemed to have a more childish feature and looked more cheerful than the blond of his age. Taichi probably was observing him too carefully that he didn't realize he had not responded anything to the young boy, causing him to narrow his ocean blue eyes.

'I'm not going to ask if you're available, so don't worry.'

Taichi almost fell to the ground.

'It's about Hikari-san.'

But that was enough to make him regain his composure and look at the blond sternly. Anything that concerned his sister would be his top priority.

'I am just wondering…is Hikari-san mute by birth, or did something happen that made her unable to talk?'

It was Taichi's turn to narrow his eyes. 'What do you mean?' His voice was authoritative now, demanding an answer from his kouhai.

'I can't say for sure, but just that…' Takeru struggled with his words, not sure how to best phrase his thoughts, '…just that sometimes when Hikari-san is laughing, she will raise her hand to cover her mouth. I don't know any mute person so I can't say for sure, but it almost feels like she is doing it unconsciously, like she is trying to hide her laughter. I just have this…feeling that something might have happened that causes her to be like this.'

Taichi thought that either the kid was psychic or he was way too observant. He looked totally different now from the boy who just joked with him minutes ago. Gone were the playful and cheerful features. Now he looked very mature and serious. Very much like Ishida Yamato.

And he didn't really like that look.

Hearing the approaching footsteps of Hikari walking towards them caused him to change his mind about telling him the truth. After all, it wasn't his place to tell, really. He knew Takeru was Hikari's first friend at school, given how enthusiastic she talked about him yesterday night at home, but he didn't know if Hikari trusted him that much. He didn't know if _he_ trusted him that much.

'Hikari will tell you when she wants to,' was all Taichi said as he put an arm around his little sister's shoulders. Hikari noticed the slight change of atmosphere surrounding the two boys, and looked at Taichi curiously. The older boy just shrugged and grinned at her. 'Nothing's wrong, Hikari. Takeru-kun is just asking me if I am single.'

It was a lie, and she could tell from the tone her brother was using and the blank look on Takeru's face. For a second she could see hesitance in his eyes, but he quickly recovered and played along with Taichi's joke. 'Yea, Hikari-san, your brother is a very interesting character that I want to know more about.' The three of them shared a good laugh, and Taichi did not comment on Hikari's raised hand over her mouth, as Takeru gave him an _I-told-you-so_ look. They walked together for a few minutes before Takeru hopped on his bicycle, bid farewell to the siblings, and rid towards another direction from the two figures standing on the crossroad.

Taichi recalled Takeru's question and the concern in his tone, and he smiled. He playfully raffled Hikari's hair, causing the girl to turn towards him with a questioning look.

'Nothing, lil sis,' he said. 'I'm just glad that you made some really caring friends.'

* * *

_End of Chapter 3_

* * *

I just couldn't resist the temptation to write a wily Takeru. I hope you like his interaction with Taichi as well. Yamato will feature in future chapters. There will an explanation on why Taichi acted weird towards the mention of Yamato in the future.

Sorry for the lack of Hikari in this chapter, since I want to focus this chapter on Takeru's background and introduce Taichi fully. I know many stories set Takeru to live in France, and particularly in Paris. In here, I set him to have lived in Paris, Bordeaux and Rome, since I find it more plausible and interesting for Natsuko to have moved around different cities to work, along with my personal affection with Italy that I decide to portray Takeru as having lived in both France and Italy before. It will also come in handy for future development.

Next chapter will feature Miyako and Iori, and also a bit on Hikari's background. Also, there will be some stereotypical junior-high drama included. Can't say I'm an expert in those kinds of scenes, but then Takari moments will gradually develop from there afterwards, so if you're waiting anxiously for those moments…just stay patient for a bit longer!


	4. Chapter 4: Give Me Novacaine

Thanks a lot to the kind reviewers! I've received many good comments and suggestions on the story, and I am really glad that many of you like the story so far. This chapter will feature Miyako and Iori, as promised.

Title of this chapter is taken from the Green Day song of the same name. Rather random choice for a chapter title, but I was listening to this song as I was editing this chapter and I thought the meaning might fit.

By the way, in case you haven't noticed yet I tend to use British spelling and not American spelling. I personally prefer the former even though I'm aware most of the readers are from America.

As usual, I recommend people to read in ½ page size to give off the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter Four: Give Me Novacaine_

* * *

Hikari was startled.

A moment ago she was walking comfortably in the corridor, after sharing lunch with Takeru, Daisuke and Ken, and then in another second she felt her arms being pulled by someone and she was thrown into the girl's bathroom, with three girls that she recognized were from her class surrounding her. She didn't know them quite well, as they acted coldly towards her since her first day of school, and had never really tried to talk to her. They looked at her in disgust, and Hikari gulped, wondering what they wanted with her.

'We've had enough of you, Yagami Hikari.'

The brown-haired girl blinked as her crimson eyes focused on Matsumoto Saki, the tall girl standing in the middle, who had her arms crossed and her head held high while looking down at the petite girl proudly. Hikari put her hands on the sink behind her for support. She was scared now, not knowing what to expect next.

'Who do you think you are, always flirting with the boys and pretending to be innocent?' She flicked her long black hair, showing off how smooth it was, and pushed Hikari towards the wall. Hikari's gasped as her back made contact with the concrete wall, but no sound came out of her mouth, and that caused the three girls to burst into giggles.

'What do you mean "flirting", Saki-chan?' Nakamura Naoko, the girl with short blue hair, corrected her friend in a tone that Hikari did not find pleasant. 'She can't even speak!' Hikari frowned as she didn't really understand what was going on, and then out of the corner of her eyes she saw the third girl jump towards her, giving her a sound slap on the cheek. Her eyes widened in shock, and she raised her hand to touch her cheek, feeling the heat condensing on it.

'Don't you dare pretend you don't know what you're doing!' Sakai Yui lowered her hand and looked at Hikari triumphantly, hissing in a low voice. 'Ever since you came, the boys won't stop talking about you. "Oh, How cute is poor Hikari-chan!" "I feel really sorry for her since she looks so poor." "Must be hard for her", and all that kind of bullshit.' She mimicked some boys' voices, and Saki, seemingly the leader, slapped Hikari's hand away from her cheek and grabbed the collar of her uniform, pulling the petite girl up to face her stern gaze.

'Listen, little girl, we don't give a damn if you can talk or not,' she hissed. 'We are sick of you getting all the boys' attention, especially those three's.'

Needless to say, Hikari immediately knew which three they were referring to. It's been almost a month since she transferred to Odaiba Junior High, and she had been spending a lot of time with 'the golden trio' during this period. She didn't know what was wrong with spending time with people who really cared about her. Wasn't that what 'friends' meant? She was just enjoying her time with her friends, and they seemed to enjoy her company as well! It wasn't even the case that she wasn't friends with other classmates. Other people talked to her too! What had she done wrong?

'We know your trick,' Saki threw Hikari to the ground and Naoko took over. 'You're acting all needy and pitiful to get their attention. They normally don't even spend time with other girls, but you,' she raised an accusing finger at the startled girl, who was now curling her knees in front of her body, 'you little slut just want to get all three of them for yourself! How selfish is that!'

Hikari wanted to rebuke her, to defend herself and say how wrong they were, but when she opened her mouth she remembered the difference between she and the other girls: she could not talk, and they had long snatched her sketchbook away from her. Without that, there was no way she could maintain a conversation with those three, not to mention that they wouldn't be as patient as Takeru, Daisuke and Ken were.

The three girls laughed at her helpless state, making suggestive comments that Hikari could only flush in frustration, and she was mad that she wasn't able to fight for herself, but had to endure their verbal torture. She could feel hot tears threatening to flow out of her eyes, and she blinked hard to control herself. Crying in front of them was not going to ease the problem here.

'This is just a warning, Yagami.' The other two girls retreated to her side. 'Let me give you a piece of advice here: those three are special, and special people don't hang out with pathetic slut like you.' She said dangerously as she pointed at her eyes, then back at Hikari. 'We'll be watching you. If you're smart enough you'll know what to do.' With that last message, the three girls made their exit, throwing her white sketchbook on the floor and leaving Hikari behind by herself in the empty bathroom. She let out a sigh of despair, and held the sketchbook tightly in front of her chest. She then crawled to the corner of the bathroom and began to silently sob.

* * *

The golden trio knew something was wrong when Hikari entered the classroom a few seconds after the bell rang. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying a moment ago, and she was basically dragging her legs towards her seat. The usual bright energy that she displayed was gone. Daisuke and Ken shot Takeru a worried look, and the blond frowned at the girl as she took her seat. Hikari tried not to make eye contact with any of them, as she was wary of the glances Saki, Naoko and Yui sent her. Fortunately for her, they sat in the front of the classroom, so when the teacher came they turned their attention back to the direction of the blackboard.

'Hikari-san, what's wrong?' Takeru whispered with concern in his voice.

It took Hikari some strength to force a small smile on her face and shook her head, her eyes still not looking at the blond sitting next to her. It pained her heart to know that she had to be careful of her action now, after she had just been threatened by three bossy girls of her class about her closeness with the three most popular boys of the school.

Indeed, when she thought about it, they had no reason to associate themselves with a disabled girl like her. She wasn't worth it. She shouldn't try to step inside the circle of the three boys who had been best friends since the first year of junior high. She was just a transfer student who constantly needed assistance. It's not even like they needed her to be with them.

Hikari did not know where her position was in their friendship. She did not provide them anything, and she had to laugh at herself for naively thinking that they were happy to have her as a friend. Really, what could a mute girl like herself give them? All she had done was slow down the flow of their conversation and make them feel awkward at times, such as when Daisuke suggested that they should go to karaoke together, only to have his head instantly smacked by both Takeru and Ken. She knew the mahogany-haired boy meant well, but she wondered if they would be happier if she just stopped hanging out with them. They could hang out with any girl, or any one, they wanted, given their popularity in the school, and she did not see why they had been hanging out with her a lot for the past month.

_They just pity you,_ a voice in her head hissed. _You are nothing but a disabled girl that needs help all the time, and admit it, all boys like to feel like they can protect a helpless girl. Wake up, you silly, needy girl. _

She recalled what Naoko said to her in the bathroom. _'You're acting all needy and pitiful to get their attention. They normally don't even spend time with other girls…'_ Indeed, Hikari seldom saw them interact with other girls, apart from the girlfriends of their team members when they were hanging out with their respective sport teams, or girls who did not show that much interest in them and were able to keep a normal conversation with them without any calculated flirting. Girls who were, to quote from the golden trio when they joked about it, 'normal'.

She did not feel like she belonged to that category, though.

She arrived at the conclusion they really wanted to be friends with her not because of who she really was, but because of her disability, and their possible feelings of pity and guilt. Thinking about that made her heart ache, as she did not want to believe in it. However, whenever she recalled the stern glances they sent to others when they whispered about her, or the awkward silence when someone made an implicit comment about her inability to speak, she felt like she was nothing but a burden to them, and it was as if they were doing to just to show her that they were doing it.

For the rest of the day, Hikari avoided eye contact with the three boys, and tried to ignore Takeru's constant query as much as possible. When the last school bell of the day rang, she quickly gathered her stuff and left the classroom, leaving behind three confused and concerned boys, and three smirking girls who silently high-fived each other.

* * *

Hikari kept her head down as she walked on the streets. In a way, she hated herself for acting rude to her friends. They just wanted to know what happened with her, and all she did was gave them a cold shoulder. Some kind of good friend she was.

Yet, her mind also reminded her why she ignored the three closest friends she got in school. _You're not worth it_, a voice kept murmuring in her head. _Worthless girl. Poor girl. Flirt. Slut. Karaoke. Awkward silence. Needy. ._

_Shut up!_ Hikari stopped her footsteps as she put her hands on her head, hoping to send the negative thoughts away as she scratched her head hard. She didn't expect the confrontation during lunchtime to affect her so much. Really, all she ever wanted was to make friends and enjoy a school life that she had always looked forward to, but now she was pushing people away, isolating herself from them. She didn't know what she should do anymore.

She took a deep breath, and relaxed her shoulders. She must look horrible now, she thought, and she had to tidy herself up before she met up with her other friends. She slapped her face lightly to instil some energy back to her mind. After making sure that she had recovered, at least on the surface, she proceeded to walk towards her destination and found the coffee shop she was supposed to be at. Her companions were already there.

'Hikari-chan! Over here!' A girl with long purple hair waved animatedly at her, and a younger boy sitting on the opposite side of her turned his body to see her. When the dark-haired boy saw her, he smiled and waved too.

'_Sorry for making you guys wait._' Hikari signed as she took a seat next to the other girl, as she put her bag on her laps.

'_Don't worry about it. We just got here too.'_ The boy responded with sign language too, as he took a sip of the milkshake he had in front of him.

'Iori and I got off early, so we came here first and we already made our order.' The purple-haired girl said as Hikari noticed that they had a plate of sandwich on the table. 'What do you want, Hikari? Does hot chocolate sound good to you?' The brown-haired girl nodded and mouthed _'Thank you, Miyako'_ to her as the girl named Miyako went to the counter and bought her the drink. When she came back, she urged for the girl to tell them about her recent life in Odaiba Junior High. Hikari told them about the school by using sign language, which both Miyako and Iori seemed to understand, and showed them pictures of the school that she had taken with her digital camera. She told them how some classmates accepted her disability while some seemed to ignore her because of that, and she tactfully did not mention about the confrontation she had had this afternoon.

'_I'm glad that you seem to be enjoying your school life,' _Iori signed. _'I hope that I can also get the same opportunity to go to Odaiba Junior High soon.'_ Before today, Hikari would have told the twelve-year-old boy that she would definitely hope his chance will come soon, as it was hard for special students like them to be admitted to the school. However, she didn't know what she should say, after she had just gone through a psychological turmoil today, so she just awkwardly nodded and smiled. Miyako, though, sounded furious that not everyone welcomed her friend with open arms.

'What kind of prehistoric mind do these insects have?' She exclaimed, ignoring the glances that some other people in the coffee shop sent her. 'Seriously, I don't see why they should make it seem like you are at fault there, Hikari-chan.' Iori just shared a look with Hikari, and, knowing Miyako, they both decided just to let Miyako rant on about the issue. Frankly, Hikari thought it was understandable that some were reluctant to approach her due to her disability. She reckoned that over time they would change as long as she was nice to everyone, although after this afternoon now she wasn't so sure.

Miyako suddenly paused in the middle of her sentence, as her eyes were locked on the entrance. 'Hikari-chan, those three there had been staring at you for a while now. Do you know them?' Miyako recognized the three boys were wearing the white uniform of Odaiba Junior High, and when Hikari turned her attention to the entrance to look at the three boys, her eyes widened in surprise. The very three people that she had been trying to avoid were standing there, looking at her with uncertainty and surprise. They just kept staring at her for a while, until the blond of the three finally led the two towards their table.

'Hey Hikari-san,' he began, his eyes flicking between the said girl and the two other people she was sitting with. 'We are worried that…'

But Takeru never finished his sentence. To Miyako and Iori's surprise, Hikari quickly grabbed her bag, jumped out of her seat, and ran towards the exit. They were all shocked by the sudden movement of the girl that they did not react in time to follow her, and when Takeru finally found the strength to move his legs and dashed out of the coffee shop as well, she was already nowhere to be seen. Sighing in defeat, he returned to the coffee shop to find a pair of red orbs staring straight into his eyes with fury.

'Takaishi, Ichijouji, Motomiya, sit.' She pointed at the empty seats authoritatively. 'You better explain to me what just happened.'

The golden trio looked at her, puzzled and stunned. They had not even introduced themselves, yet she already called out their names without mistake.

'Oh c'mon,' Miyako snorted as she pointed at the school badge on her uniform, and it was only then that the three boys realized she was wearing the uniform of Odaiba Senior High, 'I may be a year older than you guys, but I attended Odaiba Junior High too, and it doesn't take a fan girl to recognize you three.'

Hearing that, the three timidly sat down together, while Iori raised a furious eyebrow at them as Miyako took the seat opposite to them. 'I don't know what's with Hikari-chan, but I've already sent a text message to her asking what is going on. Meanwhile, tell me _your _story.'

The three exchanged a look, sighed, and began to explain everything they knew, from how they met Hikari nearly at the beginning of the month to her strange behaviour in the afternoon today. Takeru did not mention the part where he told Hikari about his issue with trusting people at school, for he deemed it unimportant to mention to someone he barely knew.

After they had finished their story, Miyako folded her arms and appeared to be in deep thought. 'Iori, what do you think?' She turned to the dark-haired boy sitting next to her, and he gestured something to her wordlessly, causing the three boys to look at him curiously. They hadn't heard the boy speak since they entered the coffee shop.

'It's very rude to stare at people like that,' Miyako snapped, and Daisuke groaned annoyingly in response. 'Seemingly that you've spent so much time with Hikari-chan, you should know that.'

'Are you the same as Hikari-san?' Ken politely asked the boy, and the boy nodded in response, his eyes not hiding the anger he felt about the three.

Miyako kept thinking about what she had just heard. 'So you are saying Hikari-chan has been acting normal until this afternoon, so something must have happened during lunchtime…'

'I don't mean to be rude,' Takeru raised his voice to catch the fifteen-year-old's attention. 'But we have explained everything already, and we still do not know who you are.'

'Oh yea, I haven't introduced ourselves yet,' Miyako suddenly remembered. 'Took you long enough…' Daisuke murmured, making Ken elbow him in the stomach. Miyako decided to ignore his comment and went on.

'I am Inoue Miyako, and this is Hida Iori.' She pointed at the boy sitting next to her. 'Iori, this is Takaishi Takeru, Ichijouji Ken and Motomiya Daisake.'

'Daisuke.' The mahogany-haired boy corrected.

'Whatever,' Miyako looked uninterested. 'Before Hikari-chan transferred to your school, she and Iori attended the institution that I volunteered at.'

'Is it a training school for people who can't talk?' Ken asked genuinely.

'Yes, and it rarely approves of their students going to a typical school since there could be all sorts of trouble, because people living in the modern world are too narrow-minded and cannot seem to accept that they are a lot more fortunate than those who have disabilities.' The three were rather stunned by her blunt confession, but they knew what she meant. While they spent a lot of times with Hikari at school, they occasionally caught glances of their classmates or schoolmates who looked at her, as if she was some kind of rare creature that carried a weird sketchbook with her everywhere she went.

'Then why did they allow Hikari-san to study in our school?' Takeru asked

'Hikari-chan really wants to go to school like everyone else, like she used to years ago.'

'Used to?' Takeru pressed on the matter, recalling his question for Taichi after his first basketball match. 'So she wasn't mute by birth?' Miyako eyed him carefully, as if checking to see if she could trust him, before she continued speaking.

'Hikari-chan had an accident when she was eight. After that, she lost the ability to speak.' The three boys held their breath hearing that. Apart from Takeru, Ken and Daisuke also had had their suspicion about Hikari's condition for a while, but they thought it would be inappropriate to confront the girl directly about that. 'She then enrolled at the institution and learned sign language, along with other subjects that the normal curriculum has.'

'What kind of accident was it?'

'Why are you so curious?' Miyako stated, and Takeru opened his mouth and closed it. 'Look, I'm already telling you guys more than I should, since Hikari-chan said she was glad to have met three really good friends at school, and that I don't think you three are the cause of her distress.' She thought about her words again, and then added, 'at least not directly.'

'What do you mean?' Daisuke was annoyed. He didn't like the girl that much the moment she ordered them to explain the whole affair, and now she made it sound like they were at fault when they had done nothing wrong.

'I'm going to talk to Hikari-chan tonight to see if my suspicion is correct.' She gave the three boys a dirty look before looking at her phone. 'Hikari-chan has texted me that she was sorry about her outburst, and that she will send you guys an apology message later too.'

'She doesn't have to…'

'It's not really her fault,' Miyako interjected Ken's sentence, 'but that's Hikari-chan. Even if some terrorists take over the government and kill random people on streets, she will think it is her fault that such a thing happens in the first place.'

The three boys just sat in silence, not knowing how to respond to that.

'_I want to be your friend, Takeru-kun.'_

Her words suddenly appeared in Takeru's mind. The blond clearly remembered how shocked and relieved he felt, when Hikari showed him those words on her white sketchbook. That warm feeling was starting to resurface in his stomach. She was his friend, and he really treasured this friendship a lot. While he didn't know if he had personally done anything wrong to upset her, he still cared about her and wanted to keep being friends with her.

'Inoue-senpai,' the blond broke the silence, and the other four occupants of the table all turned to look at her. 'When you see Hikari-san tonight, please help me tell her that,' he gulped, 'I want to be her friend too.'

Miyako looked at him with a face like he had just cracked a horrible joke, while Iori, Daisuke and Ken just stared, not understanding the underlying message of his words.

'Could you do that?' Takeru asked hopefully, and Miyako could see the glint of expectation in the blond's ocean blue eyes. She didn't fully comprehend why, but she did see his lips curved slightly upwards when she said yes. She couldn't help but remember that day later on, for when she met up with Hikari that night and passed Takeru's message to her, the brown-haired girl had the same soft expression on her face.

* * *

_End of Chapter Four_

* * *

Sorry for the delay, but given how busy I am now I'll have to say updates will probably be every two weeks or so from now on.

Can't really say I'm very happy with this chapter, but I want to have a bit of junior-high drama/bullying in it to make it more realistic. It won't be a major plot of the story and will end in next chapter, but it will help in pushing Takari forward.

Reviews will be deeply appreciated! See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5: Take these broken wings

Thanks for all the lovely reviews/favourites/alerts! I'm glad that more and more people are reading and liking the story!

The chapter title is a phrase from '_Blackbird_', written by the greatest and most influential band ever in modern music history.

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to give off the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 5: Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

* * *

Hikari's silent treatment continued.

It had been almost a week since her sudden change of attitude. During this period, the only proper conversation she had with the boys were the polite nods and weak smiles she gave them in the morning, or at the end of the day. They didn't have lunch together anymore, and even when Takeru had his basketball match after school, she would not sit with Daisuke and Ken but watched the game from a safe distance.

Takeru tried to pass notes to Hikari during class and ask her what was wrong, but she would just shrug and made up some reason to cease the conversation. Takeru did not bother to listen to the teacher's explanation of how carbon monoxide was harmful to the environment, as he turned his head to the window on his left. It had been raining for a while now, and all the blond could see was thick clouds gathering in the sky. Takeru frowned. He usually liked mild rain, but he didn't like it when it seemed to show no sign of stopping, and all he could hear was the steady sound of the water droplets hitting the window, producing a distinctly harmonious rhythm to his ears.

He was so focused on watching the scenery that he was startled when Hikari poked his shoulder hurriedly. When he turned his attention from the window back to the classroom, he realized that everybody was looking at him, while the teacher looked annoyed.

'I've been calling your name, Takaishi,' he said authoritatively with clear satisfaction. 'Detention during lunchtime. Meet me in the staffroom.'

Takeru groaned. The chemistry teacher had never liked him, and he had never liked science. It was just another excuse to punish me, he thought, but he decided against arguing with the teacher and dropped his eyes on his textbook to pretend to be paying attention now.

However, from the corner of his eyes he caught a strange movement. Saki and Naoko, who were sitting in the front and on the other side of the classroom, turned and mouthed something in his direction. Yet, the two infamously flirtatious girls were not talking to him. Instead, he found Hikari shaking her head nervously as her eyes met theirs. The two girls then glared at her, and Takeru could see that Hikari was visibly shivering.

He didn't think it had anything to do with the rain.

He acted as if he had not seen anything, but he quickly scribbled on a piece of spare paper that he had, and passed it to Hikari when the other girls were not looking.

'_Meet me at the entrance to the rooftop at one.'_ Yes, he should be done with detention by then, he told himself.

Hikari's eyes flickered nervously at the note, but she quietly took it and put it in her drawer.

* * *

As soon as Takeru was done with his detention, he ran to the rooftop entrance as fast as he could. When he arrived there, there was no one but the closed door that acknowledged his presence. Frowning, he checked his watch and was sure that it was now one o'clock. Hikari did not seem like the kind of person to break a promise and not show up, when she did not object to his invitation. That made Takeru wonder where the girl could possibly be.

On his way here, he kept thinking about the connection between Saki and Naoko's mysterious smirks and Hikari's frightened expression. As far as he was aware of, he had never seen Saki talk to Hikari, while Naoko and Yui would not talk to anyone that Saki did not approve of. In fact, now that he thought about it, Saki and her gang had stopped flirting with him, Ken and Daisuke ever since Hikari transferred to the school.

The blond never got along with Saki, let along her ever-faithful followers. To him they were the most annoying fan girls of all fan girls. While other girls would at least talk to him and give him some space, Saki did nothing but flirt with him on a constant basis, to the extent that in his second year of junior high, when he was assigned to sit next to her for a period of time, he fled the classroom immediately right after the bell rang, not giving the dark-haired girl any chance to 'talk' to him. Things weren't any better when Saki had acquired some sort of gang leader status in the form. Some said that she intimidated other girls to be her followers. It wasn't hard to imagine if that was true, Takeru thought. After all, Matsumoto Saki came from a rather rich family, but to Takeru she was just a spoiled child who would throw a tantrum when things did not go her way.

The blond checked his watch again, and found that fifteen minutes had gone already. Sighing, he slowly walked the stairs to go back to his classroom, wondering where Hikari was. When walking on the corridor, he casually looked out at one of the windows, and was shocked by what he saw.

Hikari was kneeling on the ground, as the rain poured on her unsheltered body, under a tree. Her back was facing him so he could not see what she was like, but given the rain that kept falling from the sky and her shivering figure, he could tell something had gone wrong. Without thinking too much, he ran past people in the corridor, ignoring others' curious glances, and rushed to where Hikari was. He just put his arm on his head to keep the rain from blurring his vision as he ran to the girl's side.

'Hikari-san!' He exclaimed as soon as he saw her. 'What are you doing out here?' He did not understand why any sane person would stay in the rain. Was it some kind of trick that Saki and her gang had lured her into? Was it that she was bullied by them? Thousands of possibility ran through his mind as he approached the kneeling girl, who had turned towards him as soon as he yelled out her name, a shocked and hurt expression on her face.

Takeru stopped when he saw her face. He couldn't tell if she was crying or not, since the rain was too heavy for him to see clearly. It wasn't until he heard a moan coming from her direction that he blinked his eyes in realization.

Hikari was kneeling on the ground, her hands carefully holding a thin, black cat in front of her chest. The cat's leg was hurt, and Takeru could see blood slowly coming out of its wound. He blinked again. Hikari looked at him desperately, and Takeru tried to comprehend the situation. Given how wounded the cat was, it probably could not move steadily in the rain. It must have been left out there for a while already, given how soaked its fur was, and he quickly deduced that Hikari saw the cat and tried to save the cat from the rain. However, cats were never the kind of animals to treat stranger nicely. He spotted some signs of cat scratch on Hikari's thin arms, and his heart ached.

'C'mon, Hikari-san,' Takeru slowly reached out his hand for her, 'let's get inside.'

Hikari soundlessly obliged and took his hand, her other hand holding the cat dearly. The cat seemed to trust Hikari enough now that it leaned on her body for support, meowing sound of comfort. Takeru would have laughed at the scene if not for how drenched his friend was now. The teenage boy did not fail to notice how soaked her white uniform was, and what was under that thin piece of cloth…Takeru blushed immediately and tried his best to suppress his teenage hormones. Looking around his surroundings, he grabbed the frail girl's hand and took her to the basketball team's changing room, which was just a few feet from them.

'Here, use this,' Takeru handed her a clean towel once they entered the room. 'Dry yourself first. Let me handle the cat.' Hikari nodded and placed the cat she had found on the bench next to the blond, and used the towel to wipe her hair. However, Takeru noticed that her cheeks turned pink as she looked at him with an embarrassed expression. Since she did not have her sketchbook with her, Takeru could only try to guess what she wanted. He saw her picking a corner of her uniform, then wiped that spot with the towel. The fourteen-year-old blinked.

'There's a dirty spot there?'

Hikari shook her head and bit her lips. She wasn't sure how to explain this to him nonverbally. If Taichi was here, he would understand what she meant. But her big brother was not here now, and after leaving behind her sketchbook in the classroom to chase after the injured cat that she had spotted, she could only try her best to tell Takeru what she wanted. She used the towel to wipe her sleeves, and made a gesture as if she was to take off her uniform. That was when Takeru blushed and knew what she wanted. It certainly didn't help when Hikari looked at him with those helpless, puppy eyes, asking for his understanding, in her soaked uniform. The straps of her bra became clearly visible due to her drenched shirt. Water kept dropping from her hair and her face, and some were running through her legs. Her flushed cheeks made her look even cuter than she already was, Takeru thought. She looked so defenceless and adorable right now. Takeru gulped.

What the hell was he thinking?

He frantically jumped to his locker, opened it, and grabbed a jacket from inside. 'Take this for now. It's clean.' It was his team jacket, and he handed it to Hikari and showed her where she could change. The brown-haired girl nodded with a flushed face and took the towel with her, as Takeru faced the other way to hide his own blush, forcing any impure thoughts out of his mind. He felt his heart beating harder as the image of a soaked Hikari came back to mind. It was only when the black cat wailed that he remembered its presence in the room.

The cat was lying on the bench, glaring at Takeru with its yellow eyes. There were blood stains on its leg, and Takeru wondered what had caused that. He reached out his hand in an attempt to wipe the cat's fur, only for it to cruelly slap his hand away. If he reacted half a second slower, his hand would be the latest victim of its claw.

'You…' Takeru gritted his teeth. He was just trying to help, like Hikari was! He knew cats weren't friendly species like dogs generally were, but he did not expect to almost get scratched just like that, when he was just trying to dry its fur. He glared back at the cat, and the wounded creature sneered at him in a low voice. The blond slowly advanced again, but the cat was more agile than the basketball team captain as it attempted to strike his approaching hand, causing him to take a step back in reaction. Yet he wasn't aware of the wet ground he was standing on, and with a yelp he found himself sitting on the ground. He groaned, rubbing his back as he didn't notice that Hikari had already finished changing, and was standing next to the lockers with an amused expression on her now dry face.

Hikari wasn't sure what to make of the scene. Just a while ago she was still blushing from the horrible state she was in, and the awkwardness she had caused by failing to communicate with the boy who came and tried to help her. She was also aware of her drenched uniform and Takeru's embarrassed expression. She had heard enough from Taichi about boys and puberty, but it was a different kind of feeling when a boy was standing right there, looking and not looking at her at the same time like that. She was glad that Takeru quickly understood what she meant, and she was grateful that he lent her his jacket to put on for now, even though they had not been really talking for almost a week. It didn't surprise her that the white jacket was too big on her, since she was already half a head shorter than the athletic boy. She put her wet uniform aside, and decided to go and thank the boy for his generosity when she saw his fight with the cat. She witnessed how the almighty basketball prince, one of the most popular boys of the school, scowled at a cat, and slipped onto the floor as the cat raised its head to look down at its opponent triumphantly. She usually would feel concerned for the boy's well-being, but right now all she could do was to hold her stomach and laugh at the bewildered face Takeru was making.

It took some time for Takeru to take his eyes off his foe and realized that he was being watched the whole time, and he blushed furiously upon seeing Hikari laugh. She tried to hide the tears threatening to run out of the corner of her eyes, and slowly grabbed the clean towel from the boy and moved towards the cat. She sat on the bench and gently held the cat in her arms. To Takeru's surprise, the cat did not struggle and let the crimson-eyed girl dry its fur willingly.

Knowing the brown-haired girl, he was guessing the very creature that sneered at him was the reason why she missed their meeting. She probably was on her way here when she spotted the injured cat moaning in the rain, and being the kind person she was, she tried to guide the cat to somewhere with a shelter. In order to do so, however, she took some time in 'persuading' it that she was not dangerous, and hence when he found her she was that drenched. Takeru looked at the cat and wondered if it knew how much trouble Hikari had to go through just to get it to a safe place.

Yet Takeru's focus was no longer on the cat, but on the girl who was wearing his jacket. It was too big on her, as it almost covered her thighs as well. The teenage hormones in him yelled for him to take a peek at her legs, for it almost looked like she was not wearing anything underneath it, but Takeru shoved that thought away when he saw her uniform lying on the bench next to her.

Even though he did not feel uncomfortable with the silence, and nor did Hikari, the blond felt like it was a good time to ask her questions regarding this past week, and also on why she did not meet up with him at the entrance to the rooftop, even though he had a pretty good idea on that already.

'So…' Takeru started, but he quickly stopped as Hikari put a finger to her lips, signalling for him to keep quiet as she gently cleaned the cat's wound that had now stopped bleeding. _'Just a minute'_, she made a quick hand gesture and Takeru nodded in response, as he had learnt what that gesture meant over the month he had spent time with the girl. It took the girl a while to take care of the cat's wound, but now the black creature lay comfortably on the towel on the bench that Hikari had prepared for it, its golden eyes looking at Hikari in appreciation. The brown-haired girl smiled affectionately in return, and Takeru found himself staring at her. He wasn't sure how the whole thing happened, but what he knew was that she saved a cat and was taking care of it as if it was her own pet. Somehow, a warm feeling began to surface in his stomach.

When Hikari was done with the cat, she gently massaged her temple and rose from her position, now facing the blond boy directly. Truth to be told, she wasn't sure how to deal with the boy whom she had been avoiding for a week. She knew that he meant well, recalling his word that Miyako had passed, but still she wasn't sure if she could be considered a friend of his. After all, she was the one who turned her back on him, right? Saki was right. She was needy. She was weak. They were special. They were of different classes. Who was she to think that she deserved them as friends?

Her train of thought was disrupted when Takeru's soft voice broke the silence of the room. 'Hikari-san, did Miyako-san tell you my message?'

Hikari tried to read the boy's expression. He looked as sincere as he always was, but Hikari couldn't get rid of the words that Saki and others had said to her. She hesitantly nodded, and Takeru frowned.

'Did Matsumoto and her gang say something to you?'

He was only making a wild guess, as he remembered the smirk Saki directed at Hikari before lunchtime. Yet the girl's reaction seemed to confirm his suspicion: Hikari froze and looked at him with stunned eyes, at the same time clenching her fists tightly with her lips parted. Bingo.

He ruffled his hair and sighed in frustration. 'Look, you don't need to listen to a word they say. They are always like that, and all you need to do is ignore them.'

It wasn't like Hikari had not thought of that. She did think about ignoring what the girls had said to her, but why should she when they were not saying anything wrong? As much as she wanted to be his friend, she was very much aware that in school, reputation was a big thing. Unlike him, Daisuke and Ken, she did not have to worry too much about her popularity, but they did. She bit her lips in resignation, struggling to rebuke his point.

Takeru vaguely recalled Miyako saying that Hikari tended to put the others' problems on her shoulders. The purple-haired girl had said that it was just the way her mind worked. Seeing the brown-haired girl's distraught expression made him believe that she was probably finding a way to blame herself for whatever that had happened between her and Saki now, although he did have a vague idea of why the long-haired girl seemed to hold a grudge against her. Scratching his head, he decided to be bold for a moment if he did not want to lose a friend.

So he stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders, startling the mute girl, and looked straight into her crimson eyes. He knew he surprised her with this sudden physical contact, but he figured this was the best, perhaps the only, way to let her know what he thought.

'On the first day we met, you let me know that you wanted to be my friend,' he said in a firm voice. 'Do you still think that way?'

Hikari was frightened of what reaction she should give. Saki's words kept echoing in her mind, but what overcame that was the determination she saw in the blond's ocean blue eyes. She also recalled the time when she saw the dark expression on Takeru's face, on her first day of school, and her own determination of befriending the blond who could not trust others easily. And he was now asking her to trust him.

'Because I do, Hikari-san,' Takeru continued, his voice shaking slightly. 'I do want to be your friend, Hikari-san. I don't know what Matsumoto or others have said to you, but I want you to be my friend. I want us to be friends again.'

She was different, and they were special, but a soft voice in the back of her head told her that she shouldn't assume they would not accept her. She was not a perfect person, but she definitely wanted to be a strong person. All she ever wanted was living a normal school life, right? Wasn't she so excited about attending classes and meeting friends like everyone else did? Wasn't that what she wanted?

She wanted to slap herself for how foolish she had been acting, but then, she realized that Takeru was still waiting for a response, so she did the only thing that came to her mind: she took a deep breath and threw her arms around the boy's body.

While Takeru was initially worried by her hesitance in responding, he didn't expect her to hug him. He was taken aback and jumped back a few steps out of instinct, but Hikari did not let go. He could feel Hikari's soft body pressing against his, and he blushed at the intimate contact. Yet, he figured that it was probably her way of expressing herself at this moment. After all, instead of just giving a nod or a head-shake, an embrace might be an easier way to answer his question. Thinking about that place a soft smile on his face, and he wrapped his arms around her slender figure in return. For some reason, Takeru did not find it awkward to hug the girl, and nor did Hikari. Both were just comfortable with the way it was now, and they remained in the same posture until the ringing of the school bell snapped them awake.

They broke off the embrace and looked at each other, and started laughing at each other's awkward expression. It didn't take them long to recover, however, and Takeru was relieved to find a small smile on Hikari's face now.

'So…friends?' He reached out his hand at the brown-haired girl, and Hikari giggled at accepting the handshake, recalling the moment they first met in the classroom a month ago. Takeru beamed.

'We should head back now. Lunchtime is over.' The blond said and was ready to leave. Hikari raised her eyebrows and tugged his sleeves. Takeru almost forgot why they were in the basketball team changing room in the first place if not for Hikari's worried glance at the sneering black cat on the bench.

'It should be fine here. We don't have practice today, so nobody should be here even after school.' He said reassuringly. Takeru was aware that the cat could not move since it was wounded, although they had now taken care of its wound on the leg, but then he noticed Hikari's second worry. She looked at him uncertainly while tugging his jacket on her body. Takeru wondered for a second, but then just smirked and let out a laugh. 'I'll explain it to the teacher and others, so don't worry. Besides, your uniform is still wet, so it's better to keep wearing the jacket.' Hikari's cheeks turned a shade of pink as Takeru hanged her uniform in the changing room. 'We can come check after school to see if it's dry yet.'

Hikari pondered on her options, and realized that there was no real alternative. She could not possibly put on the wet uniform, for she would definitely get sick. At the same time, she could not skip class either just because of embarrassment. The only logical solution was that she would wear Takeru's jacket and sit through the remaining classes. She wasn't too excited about it, honestly speaking, since she wasn't sure how others would perceive the situation, but Takeru just gave her his reassurance and she could not really object to him.

After patting the cat goodbye (and laughing at Takeru when the unfriendly creature slapped his hand away again) Hikari followed Takeru's lead back to the classroom. She mentally prepared herself for what her classmates' reactions would be when she entered like that, wearing the basketball star's team jacket that was too big for her petite figure. She didn't mean to make a scene, but she was well aware of that possibility.

Not surprisingly, everyone stared at her when she walked in the classroom. Takeru casually said that she slipped and got her uniform wet, so he gave her his jacket for the meantime. It was partially true, but Hikari could not shake off the feeling that many girls in the room were giving her aggressive stares. She would have laughed at Daisuke and Ken's dumbfounded expressions was she not preoccupied with apologizing to the teacher for coming back late. As she and Takeru made their way to their seats, Hikari noticed that Saki was glaring at her fiercely and was parting her lips to mouth something at her. However, the long-haired girl's face suddenly fell and turned away from her direction, and Hikari could only blink in surprise. She didn't really understand what had happened, and she failed to notice the triumphant smirk on Takeru's face now.

He still didn't know the full story, but all he knew was that the black-haired girl was the reason why Hikari isolated herself from him and his best friends. So when he took his seat and he noticed that Saki was glaring at Hikari in a rather hostile manner, he decided to take action and let her know what he thought of it. He moved his hand in mid-air to grasp the dark-haired girl's attention, then he pointed at his own eyes, and turned his index finger to point at Saki accusingly, who now had a look of horror on her face. She quickly turned away from him and tired to focus on the blackboard.

Bingo, Takeru thought, and he couldn't hide the smirk on his face for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

_End of Chapter 5_

* * *

As I said, the junior high drama/bullying ends with this chapter, at least temporarily. Those three bullies may appear in future chapters again, but I haven't decided yet. Miyako and Iori will definitely appear again, though, so don't worry.

I've written the draft of chapter 6 already, but I am not sure if I should upload that next or put up an interlude chapter on Takeru's past, as I've told some reviewers already. It's either introducing Yamato and Mimi into the story or describing Takeru's initial encounter with Daisuke and Ken and how they became friends. The interlude chapter is only half-complete though, but it will explain Takeru's personality and why he kept stressing Hikari's words on the first day they met. Still deciding on which one I should go for next.

I'll be busy with finals and graduation in the coming weeks, so hopefully I'll get to upload the next chapter within two or three weeks. I apologize for the late update in advance.

Reviews are always appreciated! See you next time!


	6. Interlude I: With a Little Help

So, as promised this is an Interlude chapter. This chapter takes place two years ago and discusses how Takeru, Daisuke and Ken became friends when Takeru just moved back to Japan. They were all twelve years old in this chapter. This chapter does not affect the flow of the ongoing plot, but certain elements of the chapter will help show/explain Takeru's personality and why he paid special attention to Hikari's words on the first day of class.

Just a note of clarification: I follow the Japanese system of schooling here, so the academic year starts in April. Also, students stay in the same classroom for all classes. This is different from the American (or broadly, Western system) where the school year starts in August/September and can pick classes they want. Also, they have junior high (grade seven to grade nine) and senior high (grade ten to grade twelve), unlike middle school and high school in America, or the secondary school system of grade seven to grade thirteen in Britain. Just want to clarify this to avoid any confusion.

I use the Beatles' song of the same name for the chapter title. The only difference is that it is not 'friends' instead of 'friend' in the original song title. Pretty self-explanatory, I think.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Interlude I: With a Little Help from My Friends_

* * *

Twelve-year-old Motomiya Daisuke yawned loudly as he made his way towards his classroom. He never understood why school started so early in the morning. The words 'Motomiya' and 'morning' did not rhyme. He dreaded at the thought of sitting still in the trapped classroom for hours before he could go out to the football pitch and stretch his muscles as freely as he could. Before he had his first class of the day, the short-haired boy was already thinking about what he could do during lunchtime and after school.`

Stepping into the noisy classroom, he exchanged greetings with a few of his classmates and got to his seat. He quickly scanned the classroom and noticed that Ichijouji Ken, his best friend since elementary school, was not here yet, and he let out a disappointed sigh. He was eager to talk about the football match last night on TV with the blue-haired boy, but since he was not here he figured he could just talk to some of his other friends before the first lesson began. He still got fifteen minutes for that.

As he put down his shoulder bag on his desk, he took a glance at the blond boy sitting by the window. The blond was reading a book on the desk, his head resting on his right hand, ignoring the ongoing conversations of his fellow classmates. His ocean blue eyes focused on the content of his novel that he was not aware of Daisuke's close observation of him. The book title was in French (or at least that was what Ken said yesterday; Daisuke could not tell the difference when the words were not Japanese), and Daisuke could tell the blond find the compilation of papers more interesting than the living humans around him.

That boy was named Takaishi Takoru…no, _Takeru_, Daisuke mentally corrected himself. Takeru transferred to his school two weeks ago, at the beginning of September. The teacher explained that he had moved to Europe as a child, clearing the students' confusion over his Japanese name and his European accent while speaking fluent Japanese. Still, Daisuke reckoned that he could have easily fooled them if he said he's not Japanese. After all, how many native Japanese people they knew had blond hair and bright blue eyes?

The mahogany-haired boy recalled Takeru's first day at school. At first everyone was excited to know someone who had spent his childhood abroad, and welcomed him warmly, especially the girls who drooled over him (Daisuke had to admit, Takeru did look rather attractive, although he thought that might just be because of his hair colour). Yet the blond did not appear to return the favour. Sure, he engaged in conversation when others asked him questions. However, Ken had remarked that he found his answers calculating. It was as if he had prepared himself to give the perfect answers to make them stop asking more questions.

Yet, Takeru's facial expression bothered him more. He always had a smile on his face when he talked to others, but Daisuke thought it looked rather forced, for his eyes always flickered around when he was talking to others, as if he was trying to get out of there as soon as possible. He was a nice person, he could tell, but he wondered if he would have preferred if everyone else just left him alone.

'Takaishi-san?' Daisuke saw Shiina Yumi, the class representative of his class, timidly approached the blond boy. He could swear that he saw a hint of annoyance in Takeru's blue eyes as he raised his head from the book he was reading to meet Yumi's gaze. However, a small smile quickly crept onto his face. 'Yes, Shiina-san?'

'Makoto-sensei asks to see you in the staffroom,' she whispered. Everyone in class knew that Shiina Yumi was a shy girl, although she was also incredibly cute. Boys would kill to have the chance to talk to her. Takeru, however, was not amused.

'Now?' He asked a bit impatiently, and Yumi fidgeted her fingers nervously while nodding her head.

Takeru gave out a sigh, and thanked Yumi with a small smile before leaving the classroom. Yumi blushed furiously and quietly returned to her seat, her head lowered in embarrassment. Some of the girls rushed to her side and talked about the transfer student vividly, while some boys snorted and whispered among themselves of how rude the blond was. Yumi was rather popular, after all,

Daisuke sighed. He wished Ken would be here soon. He really wanted to talk about that football match.

* * *

'It's about Takaishi-san again?'

'What else?'

Ken rolled his eyes after hearing Daisuke's account of what had happened this morning. After Takeru left the classroom, the boys began to badmouth him, and the girls were united in defending him. This resulted in yet another fight between their classmates. This had gone on for a while since the beginning of September, and the two boys were among the few who did not side with either party.

'He isn't that bad…' Ken began, but Daisuke cut him short.

'You're probably the only one he doesn't hate, Ken.'

'He doesn't…'

'Fine, not hate. "Dislike", alright?'

Ken sighed. It was true that Takeru was not passively hostile when the boy talked to him. Ken figured this was probably because he tried not to invade in the boy's personal space that much, and that he had some common ground with the blond. He first talked to him on the third day of September, when he found him reading a French novel.

'_Le città invisibili__,' Ken mused at he read the title of his book. He didn't expect Takeru, who was sitting a few seats from him, snapped up from his novel and stared at him with wide eyes._

'_You speak Italian?' Takeru knew he heard Ken's pronunciation correctly. It was perfect, and he certainly did not expect someone from a regular Japanese junior high could do that without making some strange sound._

'_I have reading knowledge of it.' Ken was taken aback by his reaction, but replied politely nonetheless. Takeru still looked at him in disbelief, and Ken decided that this might be a good chance to talk to the transfer student. He wasn't a really talkative person, but he did not like the uncomfortable silence that was beginning to dawn on them. 'I don't think reading Italo Calvino's account of Marco Polo's journey fits the mood of the bright morning...'_

_Everyone was stunned to see Takeru engaging in a conversation with Ken, in a language they did not fully comprehend. Sure, Ken had a reputation of being a genius who excelled in many areas, but speaking a foreign language fluently was not something they entirely expected. The two boys discussed literature and occasionally used Italian in their conversation. Ken figured Takeru probably was testing him, and he gladly complied. It wasn't an everyday chance that he got to speak an European language to a classmate, after all._

'We don't really get to talk that much anyway,' Ken finished changing his uniform and, along with Daisuke, left the changing room of the school football team. They had just finished their practice today, and now were ready to go back home. 'I have been busy with various assignments that the teachers give me, and Takaishi-san does not seem to be the kind to actively start a conversation.'

'Still, he talks to you more than he does to others.' Daisuke commented. He didn't really have an issue with the blond, for he had not been rude to him by any means. 'A few days ago I saw him helping a girl from the other class when she dropped all the handbooks and homework in the hallway. Without saying anything he just moved forward to help her.' Daisuke took a deep breath. 'I can tell that he's a nice guy, but something seems to be…off, you know?' He shrugged. It was like Takeru was building a semi-transparent wall around himself. Ken would probably understand, for he was a smart guy, but Daisuke did not know how to phrase his idea properly.

'Maybe he had moved around too much that he finds it hard to live in Japan again?' Ken remarked. 'He lived in Europe for a while, so maybe he is still trying to adapt to Japanese culture here.'

'I guess.' Daisuke liked to be friends with everyone he knew. While he was aware that some people got close to him just because he was in the football team, he still treated them nicely and didn't think much about it. If you're nice to others, others would be nice to you, right? That's what Daisuke believed in.

His train of thought stopped when he spotted the back of a familiar blond standing by the bus stop. Daisuke and Ken looked at each other for a second. _Speaking of the devil_, they thought, and decided to greet him. Even though they weren't that close, the two boys still wanted to treat their new classmate nicely.

'Hey Takaishi,' they said, and the blond turned to face them. However, it was then that they realized it was not Takeru who was facing them, but someone with the same messy blond hair and ocean blue eyes, only with more mature facial features and was wearing the school uniform of senior high.

'Takaishi?' He blinked his eyes and looked at the two junior high students with interest.

'Erm…' Daisuke found the situation very awkward, but customary practice told him to answer his senior's question. 'Sorry, we thought you were someone we know. We are his classmates.'

'Oh?' The senior high student looked amused at their honorific address of Takeru. To the boys' surprise, he murmured to himself. 'Takaishi? Seriously, what is Takeru thinking?'

Daisuke and Ken weren't sure how to respond to that.

'Ah, sorry.' The blond regained his composure and fixed his untidy uniform slightly, 'but I think I know why you guys think I'm the 'Takaishi' that you are referring to. I'm his older brother.'

'Ishida Yamato!'

They heard an angry voice calling from the opposite street, and saw an orange-haired girl yelling in their direction. The girl was carrying a tennis racquet in her hand, and she looked flushed with her eyes glaring at the blond. She looked like she wanted to cross the road and smack the blond with her racquet, but due to the busy traffic on the street she could only wait for that. Yamato just laughed smugly.

'And that's my name. Nice to meet you two…and you are?'

'I'm Ichijouji Ken and this is Motomiya Daisuke.' Ken said while thinking about the way the girl called Takeru's brother. Why did she call him Ishida? Wasn't Takeru's last name Takaishi?

'I better go if I still want to see the sunrise tomorrow,' Yamato chuckled as the orange-haired girl pouted from across the street and yelled his name again. 'See you guys later, Ichijouji, Motomiya.'

With that he turned and left, leaving the two junior high students behind. They saw the older blond rush to the girl's side and mumble something into her ears, earning a playful slap on the shoulder as they walked on side by side. They weren't sure what to make of their encounter with Takeru's older brother. Ken was still bothered by the last name issue, and decided to ask his best friend about it.

'Daisuke, did you notice…'

'Of course I did.'

Ken blinked.

'You did?'

'Who do you I am, Ken?' Daisuke made a face at his best friend. 'Of course I noticed.'

'Then…'

'That girl was hot. Like, super hot. Do girls really like blond hair that much?' Daisuke innocently asked, plucking a wisp of his hair from his bangs, inspecting his own hair colour and frowned. Ken just rolled his eyes and sighed.

'Forget I even asked.'

* * *

'We met your brother yesterday, Takaishi.'

Ken swore that was the dumbest thing Daisuke had ever said in his life.

Takeru stopped reading his book and raised his head to look at the mahogany-haired boy, his ocean blue eyes widening in surprise. It was probably the first time that they found Takeru completely stunned. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

'We saw him with a cutie. Very, very hot cutie. I wonder if blond hair really attracts girls better. Oh, and she called him Ishi…' Before Daisuke could finish his sentence, Takeru was already pulling him outside of the classroom, not giving him a chance to let go of his grip. The football player let out a yelp, and Ken quickly chased after them. Their classmates were surprised by the action of the transfer student. It was the first time they had seen him acting as recklessly as that.

Takeru dragged Daisuke towards the staircase, where not many students were around, and released his grip on his hand. 'What do you want?'

'Huh' Daisuke was confused. Ken, who just got to their side, was startled as well. What did he mean by that?

'Why did you talk to my brother?' Takeru asked again. His voice was still calm, but Ken could see the anger emerging in his eyes.

'What do you mean "why did you talk to my brother"?' Daisuke snorted. He didn't expect Takeru to lose his temper over such a trivial matter. That's just his brother, right? The twelve-year-old had an older sister himself, and he could not understand why Takeru was making a big deal out of this. 'We saw him and thought he was you, so we approached him and said hi.'

Takeru's eyes turned into a thin line as he looked at the boy sceptically. Daisuke groaned. 'What's the big deal, Takaishi? Oh wait, speaking of which…'

'Daisuke,' Ken warned, knowing where his friend was going to, but he was too late.

'Your brother is called Ishida Yamato. Why is it that you two have different last names?'

That sentence alone was enough to break Takeru's calm demeanour. He grabbed Daisuke's collar and slammed him towards the wall. Daisuke gasped, totally taken aback by the blond's action.

'Daisuke!' Ken yelled and leaped forward. 'Stop it, Takaishi!' The blue-haired boy struggled to break Daisuke free from Takeru's firm grip. Takeru dismissed him and looked straight into Daisuke's eyes.

'That's none of your business, and I will appreciate you keep your mouth shut over that matter.'

'What's your problem?' Daisuke didn't hear any of Takeru's words as he was still struggling. He could not believe it. The usually calm, kind, polite transfer student suddenly turned into a dark creature that stared at him with such menacing eyes. It was as if he had just changed his personality in a split of second, and that frightened him.

Slowly, Takeru let go of his shirt and took a step back to observe him. 'My family is none of your business.' He spat, and turned to leave the scene. Daisuke just glared at his retreating figure as Ken just stood there, astonished by the blond's behaviour. The bell rang and they had to return to their classroom, but neither thought much about it now. They took their time in regaining their composure, and wordlessly walked back to the classroom together. When they entered, Takeru was sitting with his head on his hand, reading a book in a still posture, as if nothing had happened. While the whole class looked at them weirdly, Takeru did not bother to turn his head around.

* * *

Daisuke and Ken did not talk about the incident until the end of the school day. For the whole day, they did not attempt to make any conversation with the blond. Everyone was used to Takeru not talking much, so it did not come as a surprise, and nobody seemed to notice that all three boys wore an angry scowl for the whole day.

As school ended, everyone left the classroom quickly. Daisuke and Ken were the only two people left. The two best friends exchanged a glance. Both knew what the other wanted to say, but both had so much in their mind that they weren't sure what to say first.

Letting out a sigh, Ken decided to break the silence. 'You should apologize to him.'

Daisuke kept quiet.

'Takaishi clearly overreacted,' Ken continued, 'but then you shouldn't have asked him about his brother and his last name like that. Clearly, it is something that he doesn't want to talk about.'

'He still didn't have to do that…' Daisuke pouted. For the whole day he had been thinking about what happened this morning, and he knew he stepped over the line by pushing the question. However, he still did not think it was necessary for Takeru to shove him to the wall like that. He was just asking! He could have just said that he did not want to answer. Instead he had to make a scene like that…Daisuke knew he was just trying to rationalize his action, however improper it was, and Ken was right. He should apologize to him. Even though he still thought he had done nothing really wrong…

The two friends kept talking as they left the school building and walked past the park. They did not live in the city centre of Odaiba, and they had to take a twenty-minute bus ride to reach their homes. The bus stop was on the other side of the park, a five-minute walk from the school. While they were making their ways to the bus stop, they spotted something going on in the basketball court located in the park. There were three tall teenagers standing around someone wearing the Odaiba Junior High uniform. Raising a curious eyebrow, Daisuke realized that the three guys, seemingly senior high students, were actually surrounding Takaishi Takeru. The blond had his hands in his pockets, while the three guys looked pissed.

'What's going on?' Ken whispered, and Daisuke did not respond. He was also trying to figure out what happened. He saw their mouths move and he made his way towards the basketball court, using the thick bushes as camouflage. Ken wordlessly followed. They did not stay quiet for long though, as one of the teenagers suddenly struck his fist at the blond's face. The other two quickly joined in to help their friends as they pushed the blond away and threw punches and kicks at him. Takeru occasionally hit the teenagers back and evaded most of the attack, but still he got hit a few times on the arms and in the stomach. It soon became clear that the twelve-year-old had a hard time dealing with three people who were taller and stronger than he was. And it was then that he received some unexpected help.

Out of nowhere, the three teenagers saw two young boys advancing in their direction. Before they could even see clearly who they were, two of them got pushed to the ground, while the other one looked dumbfounded. Takeru also looked surprised at the appearance of Daisuke and Ken here, but he did not think much as the standing teenager advanced again. The three classmates stood together against the three senior high students. Although they were not as strong, they were a lot faster than the others, and after a while the three older teenagers grabbed their things and left. The three junior high students dropped to the ground as they panted for air and groaned in fatigue.

'Boy, that was fun,' Daisuke muttered as he rested on his back. He was hit in the cheek a couple of times, but he was the most combative of the three during the fight and he seemed to enjoy the release of stress very much.

'Fun? Wait till we explain this to our parents, Daisuke.' Ken scolded lightly, but he was aware that he took part in this too. He did not get many wounds as he was very agile in evading the teenagers' punches, but he did receive a blow in the eye and he blinked hard, moaning slightly over his minor injury.

Takeru was still trying to regain his breath as he sat on the ground. Panting, he used his elbows to support his posture as he looked at his classmates who came to help. Daisuke and Ken were talking to each other about making up some excuses to explain their wounds, and Takeru wondered if he could come up with a decent one for his mother. He was punched in the face a few times, and his injury was the most serious of the three. He wondered how he would look like if Daisuke and Ken did not intervene in time to help him. Speaking of which…

'Why are you guys here?' It was a question that Takeru had in mind for a while, but one that he did not get to ask at first.

'To help you, of course.' Daisuke said as if that was the most obvious thing on earth, misunderstanding the blond's question. 'What else?'

Takeru thought about the mahogany-haired boy's off-topic answer, and decided to change his question. 'Why did you help me, then?'

Daisuke just snorted. He wondered if the blond was as bright as people assumed he should be, or if he himself was not as dumb as people thought he was. 'We're friends, or at the very least, we want to be your friends. Why do friends need a reason to stand up for each other?'

Takeru stared at Daisuke, amused.

'Unless you think you can beat three senior high students by yourself, then be my guest next time, but I don't think you could handle those three without our help.'

'I…' Takeru opened his mouth and shut it. He wasn't sure how he should feel about Daisuke's answer. Just this morning, he grabbed the boy's collar and pushed him towards the wall. Now, he just fought three senior high students, and without his help and Ken's, he probably would not have made it through as easily as he just did. Could he consider him a 'friend'? Clearly, Daisuke did, but the blond wasn't so sure. He was not convinced that what he did was considered an act of friendship, by any means.

He turned towards the blue-haired boy who was rubbing his eyes. The only impression he had of the quiet boy was that he was some sort of genius of the school, and someone who spoke Italian with him. Who would have guessed he could punch that hard as well?

'Why were you fighting them, anyway?' Ken broke the silence. 'The senior high students, I mean.'

'I was practising some shooting in the court here,' Takeru pointed at the still orange basketball resting on the other side of the basketball court, 'and they showed up and challenged me to a shooting contest. Five hundred yen for each successful shot. First to make ten free-throws and five three-pointers wins. They probably thought that it was a good way to get some money from a junior high student.'

'And then you won, and they did not want to pay, so they hit you?' Ken interrupted and made a guess at the situation.

'Basically,' Takeru nodded. 'Then they challenged me to play one-on-one, and they lost again. That's when they lost their temper and started punching me, and then you guys came.' Takeru explained, the scenario replaying in his mind. Really, it was a stupid reason to fight.

'You're kidding me, right?' Daisuke groaned and hit the ground with his fists in frustration. 'We kicked their asses just because they suck in basketball?'

'Language, Daisuke.' Ken warned. Daisuke just snorted and ignored his friend. The three boys stayed in silence again for a few minutes before Daisuke spoke up.

'Sorry, Takaishi.'

Takeru stared.

'About what I said this morning…it's not in my place to say something about your family. I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry.'

Takeru narrowed his eyes. Today was a very weird day for him. First, he was bothered that his older brother, whom he had not seen much in the past years, seemed to enjoy spending more time with his new girlfriend than with him. Secondly, his classmates asked a stupid question in the morning that made him lose his cool temper. Then, some senior high students challenged him in basketball, and he got into a fight with them. Later, his classmates showed up and aided him in fighting those three teenagers. Now, the same people who made him lose his temper was apologizing to him. Takeru had no idea if his day could go any stranger.

'It's not your fault,' said the blond, after spending some time thinking what he should say. 'I'm also sorry for losing my temper this morning. I shouldn't have done that as well.'

The three of them just sat in silence again. They had lost count of the times that it had happened during their brief stay in the basketball court together, but the moment did not seem awkward to them. Rather, they seemed to have newfound respect for each other. Wordlessly, Ken got up, and walked to get a drink from the vending machine nearby. The other two followed suit wordlessly, and they sat down in the court again once they made their purchase. It was then that Takeru began to talk about his life. He told them how his parents got divorced when he was young and his childhood in France and Italy. He told them how he still found it hard to adapt to the culture of Japan, as everything was different from Europe. He mentioned his discontent of not being able to see his father and older brother on a frequent basis, as they lived outside of Odaiba. He shared how he felt about the growing distance between his older brother and himself. He confessed how he tried to put on a mask, having used to moving around a lot and leaving friends behind, to protect himself emotionally. He talked about how he did not plan on making real friends in the school to protect himself from getting hurt, as he never knew if he had to move again soon. Daisuke and Ken just listened to his story and occasionally asked questions so Takeru could clarify his points. Other than that, they mostly stayed silent.

After the blond had finished his tale, it was already eight in the evening, and they had to get back home. When they parted, they just nodded at each other without saying anything. They each received some lecture from their parents when they got home, as they came back late and had bruises on their faces. However, they did not care much, as each was thinking about the other. Daisuke and Ken wondered about Takeru's situation, and the blond thought about his relationship with his two classmates. It was mainly a spur of the moment that he decided to reveal almost everything about his life to them. He spent the whole night thinking about his life ever since he moved back to Odaiba. All the ups and downs had drained him of his energy, and he felt tired just by thinking of them. However, he did feel relieved after revealing his true self to them. His shoulders felt more relaxed, and he had not let out a calm sigh in a long while. It was a nice feeling, he thought, to let it all out.

When the three met again in the morning, on the next day, they stared at each other for a moment first, all hesitant as to what to do. None was sure on how to break the uncomfortable silence, and it was Takeru who finally took action.

'Good morning,' said the blond as he nodded at them with a small smile on his face, 'Daisuke-kun, Ken-kun.'

He received a warm smile and a pat on the back in return.

* * *

_End of Interlude I_

* * *

I admit that I just like having a Takeru-fight scene. Of the four _Digimon_ stories I've written so far, three of them have scenes involving Takeru fighting. I really like his fight scene with Ken in _Adventure 02_ (when Ken was still the Digimon Emperor), so I guess that's why I like adding similar scenes to my story.

This chapter turns out to be longer than I thought. It's pretty fun to write, though, and I have ideas for more interlude chapters in the future. I intentionally make Yamato seem like an ignorant brother in this chapter, and it will be explained more in future chapters. I like Yamato too, so I'm not making him (or any character, to be fair) a bad guy here. It's just necessary for him to be a bit distant for the moment.

By the way, the book that Takeru was reading, when Ken first talked to him, is Italo Calvino's "_Invisible Cities_". It's a very interesting story about Marco Polo's conversation with Kublai Khan on describing Venice in different ways. Very entertaining read.

In the next chapter Mimi will be introduced, as promised. I'm having trouble thinking of how to introduce Koushiro and Jyou without sounding too cliché, and I'll see what I can come up with.

Please kindly review, and see you all next time!


	7. Chapter 6: Never Mind the Bollocks

Done with the Interlude, now back with the real storyline, so the four main characters are fourteen years old again.

On another note, originally I told readers that I planned for this story to be about fifteen-chapter long, but now given some change in plot and the progress I've been having I'm thinking of expanding the story into around twenty or so chapters, just so it won't seem to end abruptly. Of course, this gives me more rooms for developing the Takari moment that I'm sure most readers are looking forward to, along with adding more interactions between the main characters.

I also notice that each chapter is getting longer than the previous one. Not sure if it's a good thing or not, but I'll say it's a joy to write as more Takari moments surface.

The chapter title is a parody of _the Sex Pistol's_ album name. The meaning is rather literal than political as in the original album title. After reading the chapter I think you'll get what I meant.

On to next chapter! As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to give off the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 6: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Idol!_

* * *

'This is so great! I never know you have a rock star brother, Takeru-kun!'

'Can't you just keep your voice down?'

'What's wrong with my voice, spiky-haired?'

Takeru watched in amusement as Miyako and Daisuke engaged in yet another verbal fight, over something totally trivial in his opinion. It was only half an hour ago that they met up with Miyako, and she and Daisuke basically had never stopped arguing ever since. Even when the concert had already started, they seemed to be more interested in debating with one another than watching the concert itself. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Ken just sighed in defeat, while Iori and Hikari, having known Miyako for some time, just ignored the two and kept their focus on the stage.

The blond had invited them to come to his brother's concert as a token of friendship, after he and Hikari had made up, and also to celebrate the end of their school's exams. A concert of the local popular band seemed like a good way for them, a bunch of teenagers, to relax on the last week of June, and they did not have to pay for the tickets too. Yamato had given them free VIP tickets and they had the best seats in the arena. He knew that tonight was going to be a good night.

Of course, it surprised Hikari at first when Takeru invited her to the concert of the Teenage Wolves. She didn't listen to their music often, but they were famous around the area and she was stunned to learn that Ishida Yamato, the older brother of Takeru, was actually the main vocalist of the band. She was very excited at attending this concert, and knowing that her friends would be coming too made her even happier.

After the drama with Saki ended on that rainy day, Hikari apologized to the golden trio for her rudeness, but they just waved it off and said that they were glad to have her back as a friend. Really, Hikari was very grateful that she had made such good friends at school, who welcomed her back as if nothing had happened (although she couldn't help but notice Takeru had a small talk with Saki on that rainy day, when they made up, but Takeru didn't tell her what that was about. She did note, however, that Takeru had a particularly cheerful expression on his face that it freaked her out).

After that, Hikari formally introduced them to Miyako and Iori. She hoped that they wouldn't remain hostile at each other after their first encounter and her uncharacteristically rude departure. They seemed to get along well in general. Takeru quickly bonded with Iori for they had a shared passion for literature (to which Hikari blinked; she didn't know the basketball team captain actually read that much, for Iori had always been a faithful reader of classical Japanese literature), while Ken and Miyako always discussed computer programming and the latest software products that none of the group could comprehend. However, what entertained them the most was the recurring fight between Daisuke and Miyako. For no particular reason, they would argue over everything, however minor and insignificant they were, and the group had quickly learnt to just sit back and not interfere in their fighting.

They also got to learn more about each other's personal life too. As Takeru asked them to come to the concert of the Teenage Wolves, he also mentioned the separation between his parents, which explained why he and Yamato did not share the same surname. He tried to sound casual on that topic, but Hikari could detect a hint of annoyance and detestation when he discussed it. Still, she understood that there were things he would prefer not to talk about, and she respected that. She knew that someday he would open up more, and she would be there to listen.

'Are you all having a good time?'

The Teenage Wolves had just finished their opening song, and the bassist and main vocalist of the band stepped forward and yelled into the microphone. Ishida Yamato, holding his red Fender Jazz bass guitar, smirked as the crowd answered his question with a wild cheer. He could tell it was another full house tonight, just like their previous concerts.

'I can't hear you!' He yelled again, and the crowd responded with an even louder cheer. 'Now we're talking!' Yamato smirked as he exchanged a look with his guitarist, and he quickly produced a riff that introduced their next song. The crowd became more hyped and people began to dance to their song.

'Let's dance together!' Miyako, finally getting done with her little debate with Daisuke, grabbed Hikari's arm and pulled her to the middle of the dance floor, where a crowd had already gathered and was moving their bodies in a frantic manner. The four boys watched as a surprised Hikari was dragged away from them, and they laughed.

'I really don't know how you put up with that girl, Iori-kun,' Daisuke laughed as the purple-haired girl was clearly enjoying herself, waving her hands in the air while shaking her body like others were doing, while Hikari looked at loss of what to do and just timidly mimicked Miyako's movement. She looked back at the boys helplessly, and even though they all pitied her, they couldn't help but laugh as Miyako kept moving her body around in total enjoyment. Iori, the youngest boy of the four, just sighed and shrugged. As much as he liked Miyako as a caring older sister, he was aware that the girl could be very spontaneous and bossy at times.

'That's just Miyako-san being herself, I guess?' Ken chuckled. 'She's just a straightforward person who does what she feels like.'

Takeru turned his attention back to the stage. At the same moment, Yamato looked in his direction and flashed him a grin, to which the younger blond replied with a wave. 'Yamato-san!' Daisuke yelled as he put an arm around Takeru's shoulder and waved back excitedly, to which Yamato chuckled. Takeru rolled his eyes at his friend's childish behaviour, and he wasn't sure if Yamato was laughing at his friend or at his own helpless face.

Breaking eye contact with his older brother, who now continued singing the song, Takeru looked back at the girls who seemed to be enjoying their time. Even Hikari looked more comfortable dancing now, and he felt like he had made the right decision in bringing her to this concert.

When the brown-haired girl stopped moving around and had a frown on her face, Takeru stopped listening to the songs the band was playing and observed the scenario. A guy, probably a few years older than he was, was talking to Hikari, and the girl looked around desperately as if hoping someone could help her. She tried to reach for Miyako, but they were being separated by the dancing crowd and the purple-haired girl did not notice her silent plea. Realizing what was happening, Takeru dashed forward and forced his way into the crowd, ignoring the cries of Daisuke and Ken, and the bewildered look on Iori's face.

'C'mon, cutie. Why are you not saying anything?' Takeru heard the guy say when he was close enough to them. Hikari opened and closed her mouth continuously and made signs in mid-air, hoping the guy would understand. Not surprisingly, he did not. Annoyed, he now grabbed Hikari's arm and shook it. 'Hey, say something!'

'Let go!' Takeru quickly shoved away the guy's hands and stood protectively in front of the mute girl. Hikari turned to look at him, stunned. He glared at the stranger who was too shocked to react properly.

'She doesn't want to talk to you,' he calmly stated. The stranger looked amused and eyed the boy in front of him carefully. He was about a head taller than the blond. Thinking that he looked rather young, he smirked.

'And who the hell are you?' He said provocatively.

'Hikari-san, let's go,' Takeru ignored the stranger and took Hikari's hand, trying to lead her away from there. Hikari did not struggle.

'Hey, I'm talking to you!' The guy grabbed Takeru's shoulder and forced him to turn around to face him. The people standing nearby began to notice the situation, and stepped back in fear and confusion. Takeru, however, showed no interest in continuing the conversation.

'I'm just talking to the girl, you know,' the stranger gritted as a couple of guys, seemingly his friends, stood behind him now, 'and she keeps ignoring me like she's mute.'

Takeru felt Hikari's hand stiffen, and he looked at the guy coldly. Gritting his teeth in anger, he wanted to punch the guy badly, but the rational side of his mind told him not to make a scene at Yamato's concert. Still, he found his fist shaking, and Hikari, despite physically hurt by the guy's statement, was telling him not to do anything stupid by shaking her head and looking at him with pleading eyes.

'I'll step back now if I were you,' he heard a familiar voice echo in the arena, 'we just want everyone to enjoy our music and we don't want any trouble.'

Suddenly everyone was looking in their direction. Takeru didn't even realize the band had finished playing their song and Yamato had just publicly warned them to stop. He felt a pat on his shoulder, and he found Ken and Daisuke standing behind him, while Iori was explaining to Miyako, who just noticed the confrontation, what this was about. Daisuke looked prepared to take action, while Ken just stared at the stranger with cold eyes.

'I don't know what happened, but if you want to fight, do it outside.' Yamato continued speaking while staring at the stranger. While he didn't know what was going on, he trusted Takeru enough to know that his younger brother wasn't the kind to just cause trouble for no reason.

Besides, he was more than intrigued to find Takeru, who generally showed no interest in the opposite sex despite being a very popular guy, holding the hand of a girl. His little brother had some explaining to do later.

The stranger's friends looked very uncomfortable with the attention they were receiving, and now tried to drag their friend away from the scene. The guy just sneered and walked away from them, sending a death glare at Takeru before he left the scene. Takeru nodded at Yamato as if saying 'thank you', and quietly led his friends back to their seats. At least he was glad that Yamato and his bandmates, whom he was familiar with as well, did not look mad at him. Rather, they all looked at him with glints of excitement in their eyes, as if expecting something from him, but he could not tell what it was.

The crowd quickly refocused on the stage as Yamato led another song. The six friends returned to their seats as Miyako made a comment on wanting to beat up that guy herself. Ken was trying to calm her down. Daisuke, for the first time, agreed with Miyako, and together they were plotting on the best way to beat up that guy without getting into trouble. Iori found it best not to participate in that conversation. Meanwhile, Takeru looked at Hikari, who still had a frown on her face.

'Are you alright, Hikari-san? Did he hurt you?' He asked. Hikari just shook her head.

'Don't listen to what that guy said, alright? He's just an idiot. Some people just don't care about others that much.' To that, Hikari chuckled. It wasn't common to hear Takeru calling someone, with the playful exception of Daisuke, stupid, and she knew that he was trying to make her feel better. Facing him with a smile, she nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' to the young blond.

Takeru smiled in return, but he noticed something was wrong when he couldn't hear either Daisuke or Miyako speaking. He turned his head to find the two, along with Ken and Iori, staring at him with wide eyes.

'Erm…guys?' He asked, not knowing what their expressions were about. Hikari tilted her head while looking at her friends in confusion, not knowing what this was about.

'Hikari-chan, you told me that you guys had made up. You didn't tell me that you two are going out too.'

Miyako's statement seemed to have a profound impact on the two teenagers, as it was only when she spoke, while pointing her finger at their hands, that they realized their fingers were intimately intertwined together. Blushing furiously, they let go of their hands at the same time and turned away from each other in embarrassment, their hearts pounding violently. 'We're…we're not…' Takeru stuttered, 'it's not like that…we're not like that at all…' They could feel the heat on their cheeks rising with every passing second. Miyako and Daisuke, the loud ones of the group, didn't really know what to say. While they wanted to make fun of their friends, it was a bit too surprising for them, as Takeru and Hikari were usually the composed ones of the group. Seeing them in a state like this made them feel guilty of teasing the two teenagers.

As if on cue, Yamato made an announcement over the microphone as they had finished playing another song. 'Tonight we have a special guest,' he took a sip of water from a bottle as the crowd cheered, 'and she'll be signing a couple songs for you all.' Takeru was relieved that his friends' attention was on the stage again. From the corner of his eyes he glanced at Hikari, and she was still looking away from him with flushed cheeks.

'Please welcome the very popular and beautiful Tachikawa Mimi!'

Loud cheers and clapping erupted in the arena, and a chestnut-haired girl, wearing a white shirt and a pair of tight, blue jeans, appeared on stage and waved at the crowd, who answered her call with cheers of her name.

'Hello Odaiba!' Mimi yelled in English, and was satisfied with the reception she was receiving. She nodded towards Yamato, telling him that he could start. The drummer did not waste any time in starting the introduction to the next song. 'This song is called "8cm no Pinwheel"! Sing along if you know the lyrics!' (*)

The crowd once again cheered crazily. Miyako, now forgetting the two embarrassed teenagers in front of her, watched with a stunned expression. 'Is that Tachikawa Mimi-sama, the teen idol who grew up in America but recently also started a career in Japan?' Ken could see her eyes glistering as Mimi began singing the verses of the song, and he looked amused as the girl began to jump around accordingly to her singing. Iori, never the one to pay any attention to the entertainment business, sighed at Miyako's passionate outcry. Daisuke couldn't care less about her singing: he was too absorbed in staring at the beautiful girl on stage. Hikari seemed to have recovered from the 'incident', and was now watching the band perform. It was a good way for her to forget, albeit temporarily, about the little commotion with Takeru earlier. When Mimi looked in their direction during her singing, she happily waved at the six sitting over there, causing Miyako to squeal and Daisuke to blush.

'Takeru-kun!' Miyako grabbed the boy's collar in a swift motion. 'You mentioned beforehand that you can get us to the backstage after the show, right? Does that mean we get to meet Mimi-sama? We can, right? Right?' Takeru was bewildered by the girl's outburst. 'Yea…I think so…' he muttered weakly, and that was enough to make Miyako scream joyfully without a care.

'Yamato-san sure has some good connection. I didn't know he managed to get that Tachikawa Mimi to play with them.' Ken commented, and it was true. Tachikawa Mimi was a rising star in Japan's entertainment business. She had quite a reputation in America for being a teen model, and she had recently begun a singing career as well. Her first album, where she sang some original songs and covered some Japanese ones, sold really well in Japan, and it went without saying that Miyako was a big fan of the sixteen-year-old, who dressed really well too.

After Mimi had finished singing, the concert had come to an end, and Miyako couldn't wait to drag a yelping Takeru towards the entrance to backstage. The security man gave them a stern look, clearly stating that they could not enter without permission. Takeru grabbed a backstage pass from his pocket and showed it to the tall man, and telling him that the other five behind him were with him, and he grudgingly let them in.

When they walked past the door, they could see the band sitting on chairs, resting and talking among themselves. Standing next to Mimi was a woman dressed in black suit, who they supposed was her manager. Mimi was talking to Yamato when the blond spotted his younger brother and waved at him. He already knew that Takeru would bring his friends here after the concert, so he wasn't surprised to see the familiar faces of Ken and Daisuke, and also the three young faces that he did not recognize.

Yet before any of them could wave back, Mimi quickly dropped her conversation with Yamato and dashed towards the incoming group. With the exception of one, they were all surprised by the teen idol's sudden advance, and were more astonished to see the chestnut-haired girl wrap her arms around the blond of the group tightly.

'Takeru-chan! I miss you so much!'

Takeru, laughing, returned the embrace and put his arms on the young idol's back and swung her around playfully. 'Mimi-san, it's good to see you too.' The group, still stunned by the sight, could hear Yamato's snicker from the back.

'Look at you now! You're all grown up!' Mimi ruffled the blond's hair and grabbed his arm to inspect his biceps. 'What happened to that little cry-baby that I have known for years?'

_Cry-baby?_ The group wondered with a collective amused expression.

'He's standing right in front of you and feels very offended by your question.' Takeru scoffed and playfully pinched her cheeks, causing the sixteen-year-old to pout in protest. The rest of Takeru's friends just watched with their mouths agape. Meeting the popular idol was one thing, and seeing your friend being so intimate with her was another.

Mimi seemed to have finally noticed their uneasy presence, and observed each of them carefully. Her eyes first landed on the tallest of the group. The boy had blue hair and had a rather feminine face. His pale blue shirt matched his hair colour. The spiky-haired boy standing next to him, who had a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans on, had his jaws dropped on the ground, and Mimi couldn't help but snicker at his countenance.

Standing to the right of Ken was a girl with long purple hair who was wearing a long yellow dress. Mimi could tell from her sparkling eyes that she was a fan of hers. A boy, who looked apparently younger than the rest, just looked at her in awe, as if he had never met a famous person before. Finally, Mimi's big, round eyes landed on the brown-haired girl standing in the back of the group. She was wearing a red blouse and a black skirt, and Mimi thought it matched her perfectly. When their eyes met, Mimi found Hikari unconsciously looking back and forth at her and Takeru, and a small grin crept across her face.

'Why don't you introduce me to your friends, Takeru-chan?' She asked, after noticing that none of his friends were ready to break the silence. Takeru introduced them one by one, and Miyako was the first to speak after that.

'Takeru-kun! You never told me that you personally know Mimi-sama! I couldn't believe this! How did you guys meet? Are you close friends? Why did you never tell me?' Miyako bombarded Takeru with questions that she had in mind. She couldn't believe that the girl she worshipped was actually friends with Takeru, a good friend of her good friend. Takeru smiled weakly and scratched the back of his head, and he looked at Mimi for help on this.

'Well, I met Takeru-chan when my family moved to Rome four years ago,' Mimi started as she recounted the time she first met the young blond, 'I was twelve at that time and I got lost in the city one day when I was travelling by myself. I was so upset and did not know what to do, and then this little angel came to ask me what's wrong. I realized that he was Japanese, so he helped me find my way back to my home.' Takeru blushed at Mimi's affectionate way of calling him a 'little angel', while his friends just watched in amusement. Takeru had told them about his previous journey in Europe, at Miyako's insistence of knowing his 'blond heritage', so they weren't too surprised to hear that Takeru had been in Rome before, but hearing it from a different angle provided much teasing materials for Daisuke to use in the future.

'The story does not end here,' Mimi exclaimed and Takeru had a look of horror on his face. 'Takeru also got lost when he was trying to guide me to my place, and he ended up crying himself.' Everyone now laughed while Takeru just sulked in embarrassment. He tried to counter that he also just moved to the city not long before she did, but Mimi quickly dismissed that and kept making fun of him.

'We kept in contact after I moved back to America, and he was actually the one who introduced me to work with the Teenage Wolves tonight.'

'And boy, that was a great help, Takeru,' the group heard a familiar voice said, and they turned to find Ishida Yamato standing there, with a can of beer in his hand. 'I'm sure the audience tonight love it too. Hey there, Daisuke, Ken.' Yamato waved and the two boys waved back. After all, they had known Yamato already, while Hikari, Miyako and Iori found it a bit overwhelming that two famous stars were standing in front of them.

'I'm Yamato, Takeru's older brother,' Yamato introduced himself to the newcomers that he didn't know, and Takeru quickly introduced his friends again. When Hikari was introduced, she found Yamato staring at her with an unreadable expression.

'…and this is Yagami Hikari, onii-san.'

Hikari bowed politely to him, and he nodded in return, but with a calculating smirk on his face. Takeru also noticed his brother's strange behaviour, and wondered what was wrong.

They were then introduced to Yamato's bandmates too and they all sat down to talk about the concert tonight. Miyako, very enthusiastic about meeting her idol, quickly got along well with Mimi as the two girls engaged in a conversation about fashion, while Daisuke and Ken, who had known the bandmates already, made short talks with them and tried to get Hikari and Iori involved as well.

'_Don't worry, I've told them about your conditions, so you don't have to feel uncomfortable around them if you have something to express. They are all very understanding people.' _

That was what Takeru said to Hikari and Iori before they entered backstage, and indeed Hikari found them all to be nice people. The guitarist and drummer of the band even flirted with her somewhat. They complimented on her appearance and laughed at her flushed face, and she was glad that Takeru came to her rescue and asked them not to bother her like that. Hikari knew they meant well, though. She could tell Takeru was actually friends with them as they just laughed together and made some teasing comments against the blond. The image of Takeru saving her during the concert, when she was confronted by a stranger, came back to her mind, and she couldn't help but let a warm feeling grow in her heart as Takeru tried to make her at ease.

However, she couldn't help but notice Yamato keep sending mischievous glances at her, and she felt a bit uncomfortable with that. Why was he looking at her like that? While she was used to people looking at her weirdly, there was something in Yamato's blue eyes that told her something else was the reason. His eyes, along with the smirk on his face when he whispered something into Mimi's ears, which caused the pop idol to squeal and beam at her, made her wonder what was wrong.

When Mimi announced that she had to leave, since she had a photo-shooting session tomorrow morning, they gathered up their things and prepared to go. Hikari felt a pang in her heart upon seeing Mimi kissing Takeru on the cheeks, and him doing the same thing as Mimi left with her manager. She suddenly became very aware of how close those two seemed to be. Even though she knew that they had known each other for quite some time, and that it was normal for foreigners to do that in public (the two did grow up in Western culture, after all), she still couldn't get off the feeling of distress at witnessing their casual exchange of affectionate gestures.

The group all lived in different parts of the city, so they had to part their ways. Ken and Daisuke left first, as they had to catch the last bus of the night to return to their homes. Miyako and Iori also took the train to return to their places. Yamato did not live in Odaiba but a city nearby, so he took the other train to go back home. Before he left he muttered something to Takeru and caused the younger blond to blush furiously. Hikari could not hear their conversation, but she was sure Yamato flash her a wink and a grin when he left. After that, only Takeru and Hikari remained on their spot. As Hikari's apartment was near the arena, she decided to walk back home. Takeru, who lived in the opposite side of the city, offered to walk her home.

'_But it is late now,'_ Hikari signed, pointing at her watch, '_I'll be okay in going home by myself_.'

'It's fine, Hikari-san,' Takeru just waved off her protest. 'It's not safe to walk home by yourself at night. Let me accompany you.'

So they walked together, side by side, in silence. Hikari had so much going on in her mind as Takeru was walking calmly beside her. She touched her own hand, recalling the warmth of his hand on hers when he saved her from the stranger in the arena. That feeling was similar to the time when she hugged him in the basketball team's changing room, when she realized that Takeru really wanted to be her friend because of who she was and not out of mere pity. Ever since then she had always felt differently when she was around the blond. True, she was glad that she was able to hang out with him again, but it wasn't the same kind of feeling she had when she was around Daisuke or Ken. She found herself staring at the blond more, and a smile would always form on her face when he was nearby.

What did this all mean? She couldn't understand why she was feeling like that. Even when they were walking side by side like this, when Takeru made no attempt to fill in the silence, she did not feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, just his presence seemed to be enough for her to feel content.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at her apartment building. After they took the elevator to her floor, Takeru finally spoke for the first time since they left the arena.

'I'll see you later at school then?' He said, his hands in his pocket as he looked at her. Hikari found herself staring into his ocean blue orbs again, trying to figure out what the boy was thinking. She bowed to indicate her thanks for walking her home, but even after that both parties did not make any attempt to leave. They just kept staring at each other, each trying to understand the other one. It wasn't until Hikari hear the annoyingly high-pitched sound of the elevator's door opening that she broke the gaze and turned to face her older brother, who just stepped out of the elevator.

'Hikari? Why are you standing outside the apartment?' Taichi stepped out of the elevator and found himself facing two teenagers who did nothing but stand still. He saw his sister looking at him, surprised, and there was someone else standing nearby too.

'Oh, hey there, Takeru-kun. Didn't see you there.' Taichi eyed the blond suspiciously. Why were they just standing there? He assumed that Takeru had taken Hikari home after the concert, knowing that the blond did not live around this area. It was nice of the young blond, he knew, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more than that.

'Hello Taichi-san,' Takeru politely nodded. 'I just walked Hikari-san back from the concert.'

'I guess so,' Taichi said. He wasn't too comfortable with the idea of his sister going to the concert of Ishida Yamato, but then he was never immune to Hikari's pleading look, and he did not want to be unreasonable in Hikari's eyes. Sighing, Taichi tugged Hikari's arm. 'It's late, Hikari. Get in.' He nodded at Takeru. 'Thanks for taking my sister home, Takeru-kun, but you should head back soon too. It's late.'

'Yes, I should,' Takeru absentmindedly stated. He was looking at Hikari the whole time, and barely managed to hide his gaze as Taichi addressed him. 'Goodnight Taichi-san, Hikari-san.' He bowed and walked into the elevator, finally disappearing from the Yagami siblings' sight. Hikari remained standing there, staring at the spot where the blond was standing at seconds ago.

'Hikari, are you coming in or not?'

Hikari finally began to move towards her apartment, as Taichi kept urging for her to come in. She took one last look at the spot, however, before closing the door behind her. Little did she know that several storeys below, a blond was looking up at the window of her apartment, and he remained standing there for a while before he turned his back and walked away.

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_End of Chapter 6_

* * *

* I don't know too many Japanese rock songs sung by female, although my favourite Japanese band is _Tokyo Jihen_ led by the legendary Shiina Ringo. I have a collection of anime songs but they're either don't fit into Mimi's voice or the melodies are more pop than rock. I personally prefer more guitar than computer-synchronized sound, so it's hard to pick one.

This song that I've chosen, 'The 8cm Pinwheel' (8cmのピンヒール), is a song by the band Chatmonchy. I recently got into their work, and thought that this may be a good fit for Mimi's voice, and should sound similar to what an indie rock band, like Yamato's, sounds like.

* * *

I actually had a lot of fun writing Mimi in this chapter and the next. I didn't realize she's so much fun to write about before. I'm wondering if I should let her play a bigger role in this story, and her encounter with Takeru is a possible interlude chapter too (ever wonder why a ten-year-old Takeru would cry just by getting lost?). She also allows the story to have more humour content, which is extra fun to write when other characters are involved.

Next chapter we'll still have Mimi, and I'll also include a character from the series too, but not one of the Chosen Children. I'll save the surprise for the update.

Meanwhile, reviews will be deeply appreciated! Until next time!


	8. Chapter 7: While My Guitar Gently Beams

I can tell everyone just loves Mimi in the last chapter, and I can't stress enough how much fun I have writing her.

I just posted a one-shot, _Exit Music_, a few days ago. It's a concept that I'm planning to expand on after I'm done with this story (which I don't know when, actually. I keep having more ideas for this), and I hope you all can check it out and let me know what you think about it! It's also an AU Takari, but with a darker tone and a more complicated plot.

Speaking of tone…I'm thinking that I may be approaching this story with a sweeter, more lovey-dovey tone than a serious/realistic one, whatever you call it. That doesn't mean there won't be any drama (the route to the ending isn't a straight, smooth path), but that the general tone will be brighter and more pleasant. It's just that I think it fits the story more.

Chapter title is a pun on George Harrison's _While My Guitar Gently Weeps_, a song that I'm learning to play myself. I seem to be using a lot of the Beatles' song titles as chapter titles. Well, they are immortal for a reason, and I really need to figure out better chapter titles than lame puns.

This is the longest chapter so far, but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless! As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to give off the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 7: While My Guitar Gently Beams_

* * *

'You're supposed to show me around the city, and yet you're just lying in bed, doing nothing. You're so useless.'

'I appreciate your concern, Mimi-san. That's very heart-warming.'

It was a bright afternoon on the first day of July. Many people were enjoying the nice weather outside, but one blond did not get to do the same. He usually would have gone out and stretched his muscles under the glowing sun, or spent some time in the shopping centre to check out the latest CDs or books that he was interested in. Instead, he was staying in his own apartment, with a flushed face and tired body, as he listened to the chestnut-haired girl's complaint of his current worthlessness.

'Why do you have to get sick at this time?' Mimi scoffed as she rubbed her temple. 'I have a busy schedule, you know. Today just happens to be the day I don't have to work,' she pointed an accusing finger at Takeru, 'and you were supposed to show me around the city. Is this how you treat me when I haven't been back to the city in years?'

Takeru rolled his eyes and decided to ignore Mimi's moaning over his immobility for the day. Indeed he had promised to show her around the city today, as it had been years since she set foot in this city. When Mimi left after Yamato's concert, just a few days ago, she made him promise that.

However, the plan changed when Takeru woke up this morning with a burning forehead. He didn't know how he got it, but he could barely wobble his way to the kitchen, and Natsuko called Mimi to cancel their planned trip. The teenage girl, partly concerned and partly hoping to kill boredom, Takeru reckoned, decided to show up at his apartment in the afternoon to take care of him. This allowed Natsuko to go to work, as the blonde woman had already skipped the morning to look after her son.

'Hold still,' Mimi ordered as she passed him the thermometer. Takeru weakly rested his back against the wall and put the long tube under his tongue, waiting for a couple of minutes before pulling it out. Mimi grabbed the semi-transparent tube and raised it in mid-air to inspect his temperature.

'Thirty-eight point nine degrees,' Mimi spoke with a soft voice. 'It has gone down slightly since this morning.' (*)

Takeru moaned at the lack of significant recovery. Mimi placed her hand over his and squeezed it softly.

'You'll recover soon,' she said, 'and you'll play and win the championship game tomorrow.'

Of all days he could get sick in the year, it could not be tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day he had been waiting for since the beginning of this academic year. Tomorrow was the big day he could not afford to miss. He couldn't understand why he would get sick now when he seldom caught a cold, and just thinking about that made him groan in frustration.

He had wanted to play this game for three years. He did not play in his first year here, and last year the team was not strong enough to even make it to the quarter-final. Now that he had the chance to play the final game of the Kanto Regional, the glory that he had dreamt of since coming back to Japan, he did not want to miss it, by all means. Wining the Regional one also meant they would qualify for the National Tournament, playing against teams from the whole country in late August. Competing in the national level was something he and his teammates had vowed to do. He wouldn't want to miss out a chance like this.

'Lie down and sleep,' said the chestnut-haired girl. The blond moaned stubbornly.

'I've slept for the whole morning, Mimi-san. I'm not sleepy at all.'

'You need more rest in order to recover soon. Don't make me repeat my words, Takaishi Takeru.'

Just then, the doorbell rang. Mimi and Takeru looked at each other, confused. Natsuko had left for work, and Hiroaki was sent to work in Hokkaido for the day. Yamato was also out of town, as he had a gig tonight on the other side of Tokyo. Who else would be here to visit?

The doorbell rang again and Mimi groaned, slightly annoyed. Getting up from her seat, she left Takeru's room and reached for the front door quickly. Takeru wondered for a moment on how the person waiting outside would react when he or she was greeted by the famous teen idol, but he was too tired to stop her advance.

He heard some voices coming from the front door, and after a while he saw three familiar figures entering his room, to his surprise.

'And you said you're not that sick? C'mon Takeru, you're a horrible liar.' Daisuke snorted at his state, earning a weak glare from the blond. Indeed while Takeru's temperature was not that high, he did not look well at all. His skin was pale and his tired face showed nothing but fatigue. His dull, spiritless eyelids were succumbing to gravity before Mimi led the trio into the room.

'How're you feeling?' Ken asked softly. He had been worried over his friend's condition since this morning, when he got a text from the blond saying that he was sick and could not come to school to help out preparation for the upcoming School Festival. The blue-haired boy was aware that tomorrow was the big day for the blond, and he really hoped he could recover in time for the match. However, Takeru did not look like he could play properly on the next day when he was like this now, and Mimi had informed them of his temperature as they entered. He wondered if Takeru realized he was in no condition to play tomorrow, by any means.

'How else?' Takeru muttered as he grabbed his cup and swallowed some warm water down his dry throat. 'I've been staying in bed for the whole day and listening to a particular someone's complaint about how useless I am right now. To answer your question, Ken, I feel great. Never better.' Mimi grabbed a tissue box nearby and threw it at the sick teenager, earning a yell of protest from the blond. Ken's lips curved upwards. While Takeru certainly did not look well, he still had the dry sense of humour to tick off his friend, so Ken figured maybe he had worried too much. Takeru was still Takeru, as far as he was concerned.

'What are you saying, Takaishi? I'm willing to get sick everyday if a beautiful person like Mimi-san is going to take care of me.' Daisuke cried as if Takeru's words were blasphemous. He turned to Mimi, who raised an amused eyebrow at the spiky-haired boy, and leaned forward obediently like a servant talking to his mistress, dropping one knee on the ground. 'Speaking of which, Mimi-san, how about I show you around Odaiba if you want to…'

Takeru gave a small laugh at Daisuke's straight-forwardness and Mimi's startled expression. Ken just shook his head in resignation. Both knew there was nothing much they could do about the football team captain's childishness.

As Daisuke went on talking to Mimi, with Ken occasionally joining in, the last figure slowly approached the bedside. She had been standing behind the boys as they walked in, and she had not made a sound so far, as if she did not exist on the same dimension with the others in this situation. However, Takeru knew well enough she participated in their conversation in her own way, and they were all fine with it. She looked at him with concern and worry in her bright, crimson eyes. She was carrying a basket of fruits and she carefully placed it on his desk.

'_Are you feeling better?'_ Hikari gestured. Over the months she had taught him and the others some basic sign language, so she did not have spend time writing down what she wanted to say. They pretty much forced her to teach them, as they wanted to understand her better and made her feel less awkward when they're talking with each other.

Takeru warmly nodded and gave her a weak smile. She frowned and leaned forward, putting her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. He blushed, although he was not certain if that was due to the close contact or just due to his temperature right now. Her facial expression told him that she was not quite satisfied with his answer, and he gulped in response.

'Don't worry too much, Hikari-san,' Takeru tried to reassure his friend. 'I'm already feeling better than I was in the morning.'

That did not sound convincing at all, as he quickly engaged in a series of coughing afterwards. Hikari patted and rubbed his back, trying to make him feel better. The others also turned their attention to the sick teenager as he was coughing, but they all paused when they saw Hikari taking care of him like that. Hikari looked at the blond with an accusing frown, as if silently rebuking what he had just said. Having recovered from that, Takeru tried to avoid looking at her in the eyes.

Mimi narrowed her eyes and the corner of her lips began to lift upwards, forming an astute shape, as she assessed the situation in her mind.

'I should go and prepare your lunch, Takeru-chan,' Mimi beamed as Takeru looked at her, confused.

'Lunch? But it's three thirty…'

'And you two should come and help me. To the kitchen. Now.' It was a stern statement with no rooms for objection. Mimi ignored Takeru's query and put her arms around the other two boys' shoulders, causing them to blush at the intimate contact. They were healthy teenagers, after all, and it was rather uncomfortable to have a beautiful girl's perky breasts being dangerously close to their heads and arms…

Takeru and Hikari, with raised eyebrows, watched them leaving the room. Basically and literally, Mimi dragged Daisuke and Ken away. To Hikari, it was quite a sight to see the famous idol bossing around like that. Takeru just sighed. He had had lunch a couple of hours ago and had taken a short nap afterwards, so he wasn't really hungry at all. What could his long-time friend be planning on? He didn't really bother to know, as long as she would stop complaining about her lost shopping day. Thinking about Mimi's rationale only gave him headache, and he had had enough of that already.

Having recovered from Mimi's spontaneous action, Hikari now took a good examination of the blond's room. She had never been to another guy's room before, save for her brother's, and she was surprised by how clean and organized the room was. Taichi's room was constantly a mess: his dirty clothes scattered around his chair and his books, if any, lay on the floor untouched for weeks. His desk was filled with textbooks and football magazines in a chaotic manner that she and her mother had given up trying to tidy his room.

Yet Takeru's room was different. A large bookshelf rested upon the wall, and Hikari could spot books, mostly fiction, of different languages there. There was also a pile of CDs organized neatly in one section of the shelf. Hikari recognized some bands' names, and was amazed by the variety of collection the blond had. Next to it was a clean wardrobe where the blond had apparently sorted out each piece of clothing in order. His desk was arranged nicely as well, with books and stationery on one side and his laptop on the other. There were some posters of musicians and sports stars on the wall, and Hikari spotted a basketball and an acoustic guitar resting on its stand on the corner of the room. She widened her eyes.

'That was my birthday gift from Yamato last year,' he chuckled slightly as he noticed the fourteen-year-old girl staring at the reddish-brown guitar. 'He thought that playing together in his band would be a good idea, but I don't think I'm good enough to play with those guys.'

'_I didn't know you can play the guitar,'_ Hikari signed. She recalled that Yamato, Takeru's older brother, played bass guitar, so no wonder he wanted his younger brother to play with him on stage. She crouched on the floor to observe the guitar carefully and, after receiving an approving nod from Takeru, reached out her hand to pluck a few strings. The sound echoed in the room and she tried a few times again, hoping to create more sound. However, she wasn't familiar with the instrument, so her unsuccessful attempt drew a scowl on her face. Takeru, meanwhile, scrutinized her change in expression and hid a smile. She looked adorably cute when she made a face like that.

'Come here, let me show you,' he offered, and Hikari passed him the guitar. Although his arms still felt weak, he managed to find the strength to position himself and started strumming a few chords. 'Mainly guitar playing is about different chords. This is a C major chord,' he pressed his left hand's fingers in a particular pattern and plucked the strings with his right hand, and Hikari observed closely. 'Do you want to try it?'

The brown-haired girl timidly got the guitar from Takeru. She sat on the bed, facing him, and placed the guitar on her laps, careful not to drop it. She tried to mimic the blond's playing, but when she strummed the strings all she could hear was an unpleasant sound of disrupted chord. She blushed, feeling stupid all of a sudden. Takeru carefully moved her fingers to the correct position.

'Here, your index finger is on the second string from the top,' he moved her petite finger to the correct position, 'and your ring finger is on the third fret, which is here,' he pointed at the right spot and Hikari obeyed. Takeru, like before, moved her finger to assist her. Gulping, Hikari tried again, and this time she succeeded. The sound of a perfect C major chord lingered in the room.

'Bravissima!' Takeru exclaimed as Hikari turned to him and smiled happily. She had never played a guitar before, and she could not wait to create more sound. With Takeru as her teacher, she knew she would definitely enjoy this.

* * *

There were many activities that Tachikawa Mimi treated as hobbies. Cooking for others was one, but she would always choose gossiping about relationships over spending her time in the kitchen. So after she dragged Daisuke and Ken out of Takeru's bedroom, she had no plans of setting foot in the kitchen at all.

'Now you two listen to me carefully and give me the best answers you got.' She looked at the two boys with a strict glare. 'Tell me all you know about Takeru-chan and Hikari-chan's relationship.'

Daisuke and Ken blinked. Although Ken had guessed that they were not here to make lunch, he did not expect the sixteen-year-old to ask them such questions. Daisuke just looked confused and stared back at the teen idol.

'What do you mean? They're friends, of course.'

Mimi had to try her best not to smack the mahogany-haired boy in the head. '"Friends"? C'mon, you two can't tell there's something going on between them?'

This time she had to resist the urge to slap both on the face. The two boys looked like they had no idea what she was talking about, and just looked at each other and shrugged. Mimi now felt like an idiot. 'Mamma mia!' She facepalmed, not understanding why Takeru's best friends could be such thickheads.

'To put it in simple Japanese, she likes him and he likes her,' Mimi whispered in devastation. 'Takeru-chan seldom shows any interest in girls, but look at the way he treats Hikari-chan! Besides, Yamato told me that they were holding hands during the concert when some scumbags were harassing Hikari-chan. That has to mean something.'

'But you're a girl too…' Daisuke ceased talking as Mimi flashed him a death glare, and he swallowed the words that he had wanted to say so as not to further offend the chestnut-haired girl.

_From the corner of his eyes Ken saw Takeru's lips form an upward curve. What caught his attention was that there was something different in his smile. It was a sincere one that he seldom saw the blond wear on his face when facing people he just met._

Ken pondered on Mimi's words while thinking about Takeru's strange reaction on the day Hikari transferred to their school. 'While it's possible, it's also in Takeru's nature to help his friends when they're in need. Just like that time during the concert,' he murmured. He had paid special attention to the two since Hikari's first day of school, but apart from holding hands during the concert he had not seen them do anything extraordinary so far. Takeru was generally nice to everyone, and Ken did not see how differently the blond treated Hikari compared to other female friends he had. 'Why do you think they like each other?'

If sighs could kill, Mimi would have brutally murdered them many times in the past ten minutes. 'It's so obvious! Can't you see the way he looks at her or how she cares deeply for him? The signs are everywhere! I don't get why you two seem so surprised by this. Come here!' She gestured for them to follow her, and they raised their eyebrows as Mimi knelt in front of Takeru's bedroom door and motioned for them to follow suit. Daisuke really wondered if his latest, favourite idol had gone insane when she asked them to watch their friends from the door.

'Isn't this…' Ken had the same concern, but was quickly dismissed by the chestnut-haired girl.

'Ssshhh,' she placed a finger on her lips. 'Look.'

Following her order, the two boys sighed and watched their friends. Hikari was sitting on Takeru's bed, holding his guitar, and Takeru was guiding her on how to play a chord. They watched in amusement as Takeru gently moved her fingers on the neck of the guitar, and both seemed to have a faint blush on their faces when Hikari successfully played a C major chord.

What astonished them more, however, was the way they looked at each other. As Mimi said, there was something more in their eyes, a kind of affection and warmth that they had not shown anyone. Hikari looked like a girl in love, and Takeru had never looked at anyone with such tenderness before. As the two went on with their guitar lesson, unaware of themselves being watched by their friends, Daisuke and Ken looked at each other as if silently questioning how they could have missed those subtle clues before.

'I told you so,' Mimi said triumphantly, her hands on her hips, as they continued to watch them, only to be disturbed when Mimi's mobile phone rang. Fortunately for them, she had set the phone in vibrate mode, so she quickly ran to the other side of the apartment to answer her call.

* * *

Hikari let out a joyful sigh as she passed the guitar back to Takeru, who went on to play a few tunes for her. The blond had taught her some chords and she was still trying to memorize how to press her fingers. What made her happy was that Takeru had promised to teach her another time, so she could have more practice on it if she wanted to.

Although they were the only two left in the apartment now, neither found the atmosphere strange nor uncomfortable. Mimi had left in a hurry when her manager called her and asked her to model for a prominent purse company. She didn't want to leave at first, as she had promised Natsuko to take care of her son, but it was a big chance for her and Takeru asked her not to let go of a chance like this. Daisuke and Ken also had their football training to attend in the afternoon, and they had to go before their coach got mad at them. Hikari had wanted to ask about their preparation on Takeru's lunch, but the three left before she had a chance to raise the question. Takeru did not seem to remember that, though.

'Do you play any instruments?' Takeru asked casually while playing the riff to one of Yamato's songs. It was one that they had heard in the concert a few days ago, and Hikari was tapping her fingers along with the melody, listening intently to his soft playing.

The brown-haired girl quickly wrote on her sketchbook. _'The harmonica and the piano'_, she printed. _'Onii-chan bought me a harmonica as a Christmas present when I was seven, and I have kept it ever since. I also take piano lessons with an aunt since I was nine.'_

Noting the numbers 'seven' and 'nine', Takeru suddenly recalled that Miyako had mentioned Hikari only became mute when she was eight. Out of respect for his friend, he decided not to ask her about the issue until she was ready to talk about it.

'Yamato also has a harmonica, but he never lets me play it,' Takeru grinned. 'He said that it's dirty for two people to share one, and I never really bother to buy one. A guitar is good enough for me. I can't play too many instruments at the same time, anyway. They're not easy to learn.'

Hikari raised her eyebrows all of a sudden, as if a light bulb above her head had been lighted in a comical manner, and pulled out something around her neck. She showed it to Takeru, and he saw a small, silvery whistle in her hand.

'A whistle?' He asked curiously. That was not an answer he expected.

Hikari nodded and went on writing. _'As I cannot talk, sometimes it's hard for others to know where I am or what I want, and it takes time to write everything down,'_ she showed this to Takeru, who nodded, and then continued, 's_o a family friend suggested using a whistle to communicate for simple responses. We have our own code for that in the family, and it's very easy to learn!'_

She placed the mouthpiece between her lips and blew a long note, followed by a brief one. _'A long note means "yes", and a short one means "no". These two are the easiest to recognize.' _She then tried a short note followed by a couple of long ones_. 'This means "get off". This one is for onii-chan only.'_ She giggled, and Takeru laughed along as well.

'It must be fun living with Taichi-san like that. If he happens to annoy you, you can just keep blowing the whistle until he decides not to mess with you anymore.'

Hikari giggled at his statement, and Takeru found her smile a pleasant sight to see. It also warmed his heart, somehow, when she looked so innocent and relaxed. Although he felt a bit jealous over his friend's strong bond with her brother, he was truly happy for her too. He wondered what would happen if he were the mute one and Yamato was not around to help him.

'How do you say "I like it" then?' (**)

Hikari took a breath and blew three flat, long notes. Hoping to make it easier for Takeru to remember, she pointed at the guitar he was holding and blew the same pattern. Takeru laughed again and let Hikari demonstrate a few more 'codes'.

However, he felt his eyelids dropping as time passed by. Although he would love to spend more time with Hikari like this, he could feel his sickness taking control of his body again. An inescapable yawn left his mouth.

'Sorry Hikari-san, but I think I need some rest.' He whispered as his body muscles grew more exhausted by every passing second, and he laid his head on his pillow while Hikari helped him tug his blanket. She only nodded at him to show that she understood, and that he needed not worry about being rude to her. The last thing Takeru saw, before he drifted into dreamland, was Hikari's caring smile that he found himself getting more and more attracted to.

Hikari watched as Takeru's chest rose and fell in a steady pattern. She chuckled slightly as he shifted a few times in his sleep to make himself more comfortable. Finally, he decided to sleep on his shoulder, putting a hand under his pillow, thus his face was actually facing the brown-haired girl. Grabbing a chair, Hikari sat and put her elbows on his bed, and decided to watch his sleeping face.

Ever since knowing him, she had pondered on the many sides of Takeru. There was one which greeted her in a Western manner on her first day of school, and one that told her about his issues with trusting other people. There was one which had a mischievous personality and liked to joke with his friends, and one that had a menacing look on his face when his friends were in trouble. There was one who always smiled on the outside, and one that was still partly traumatized by his past. And yet now…all she could see was an innocent face like that of a child. He was sleeping so peacefully that Hikari could not stop herself from looking at him, studying his countenance carefully. How she wished for him to keep this peaceful expression on his face. She had no idea how it felt to be separated from one's father and older brother at a young age and forced to move around different countries. She couldn't even imagine spending a week without her family nearby. The only time that she was forced to stay apart from them was when…

Hikari let out a yawn. She also felt tired after a morning of working for the preparation of the upcoming School Festival. It was her first time attending one, let along helping organize one, so she had been very enthusiastic in the morning. That probably drained much of her energy, she thought, and without thinking much about it she folded her arms on Takeru's bed and rested her head on them. From the corner of her eyes she took a good glimpse of Takeru's sleeping face again, before the boy's light snore slowly took her into dreamland as well.

The apartment became still. No sound could be heard except for the mechanical ticking of the clock on the wall and the hushed snore made by the two teenagers. Occasionally noise from the streets would reach the apartment, but that did not wake them up. Both of them relaxed and did not let the noise of the outside world bother them.

After some time, the front door slowly opened, and the person who did that put the key back in his pocket. 'Takeru?' He called out, but he received no reply. He wondered if the boy was too sick to answer, or if he's just sleeping. If he recalled correctly, Takeru was always a heavy sleeper when he got sick, although he couldn't be sure after years of not living together.

Taking off his shoes, he noticed that there was a pair of unfamiliar shoes by the entrance. It was the kind that students wore, and it did not take him long enough to reckon it was a pair of female shoes. He raised his eyebrows, wondering what this really entailed. He had several thoughts in his mind, and he mentally prepared for the worst. If his little brother decided to be a man, then maybe he shouldn't interfere, right? Be a good onii-san and let your brother have fun, he told himself.

Still, Yamato mentally slapped himself when the fact that Takeru was only fourteen sank in. He certainly did not want to be an uncle at the mere age of seventeen, but he did not think Takeru would be that irresponsible as well.

When he made it to Takeru's room, he noticed that Takeru was not alone. There was someone sitting by the bed and taking a nap there. 'Hikari?' Yamato muttered under his breath, and suddenly everything made sense to him.

Earlier today his mother had called him and told him that the young blond was sick. Worried over his brother's health, he decided to stop by Odaiba quickly before he went back to his gig tonight. It was about a two-hour ride, but to Ishida Yamato it was worth it, if just to see his brother in need.

It was Mimi's message later, when he was on his way to the city, that confused him. The teen idol said she, designated caretaker of Takaishi Takeru of the day, had a sudden job appointment so she was leaving, and so were Daisuke and Ken for another reason, but she said Takeru would be taken good care of, so there was no need for him to worry. Yamato was utterly confused how his little brother would be taken care of by someone when he was alone in the apartment. Now, seeing the sleeping figure of Hikari by Takeru's side, he finally understood what she meant. A smirk made its way to his lips, and he only wished he had a camera with him now to capture this moment.

'Doesn't okaa-san have a spare one in her room?' That thought occurred to him, and the bassist of the Teenage Wolves quickly went to Natsuko's room and grabbed it. He grinned at the thought of Takeru finding out about this. This picture would make his mother proud.

The teenagers' eyes remained closed as they continued to dream. It was too soothing for either one to wake up.

* * *

Hikari woke up with her eyelids still struggling to fall down. She wanted to rest more, but she recalled that she was in Takeru's room, so she shouldn't sleep for too long. He was still sick, after all, and she had to take care of him. She couldn't just leave him alone here. She looked at the blond and found that he was still soundly asleep, and she smiled warmly at that. She was really glad he was taking enough rest. Knowing how important tomorrow's match was to him, she really hoped he would sleep as much as he needed to today so he could play on the court tomorrow.

The sunshine scattering in the room seemed to have dimmed, and Hikari checked her watch. It read five o'clock, and she gasped. She had slept for almost an hour! The brown-haired girl certainly did not expect that. Even though it was an enjoyable nap, she still should be awake to aid him if he needed anything. Fortunately Takeru did not look like he had woken up so far, but still, Hikari felt guilty that a planned five-minute nap did not work out.

'Oh, you're finally awake.'

Surprised by the new voice, she flung her head towards the door to see a tall woman standing there. She had shoulder length blonde hair and she was wearing a red top accompanied by a black skirt in a professional manner. She looked rather young, actually. And beautiful too, giving off an aura of strength and vigilance. Yet Hikari quickly noticed what distinguished her features. It was her eyes, the same pair of ocean blue eyes that she had seen in Takeru and Yamato's faces.

Realizing who she was facing, Hikari rose immediately from her seat and opened her mouth out of instinct to speak, but the woman beat her to that. 'No need the formality, Hikari-chan,' she smiled and walked over to the young girl, patting her head affectionately. 'Thank you for taking care of my Takeru this afternoon. I'm Takeru's mother, Natsuko.'

Hikari widened her crimson eyes, as if startled that Natsuko knew her name. 'Takeru had told me about you,' she winked, 'and Yamato as well.' Hikari did not really understand what that wink meant, but Natsuko just continued. 'I've learnt about your condition from them too, so don't feel awkward or embarrassed about it. I've interacted with disabled children before, and I am truly sorry about your condition.'

Takeru had once told her that his mother was a journalist, so maybe that was what she meant by having interacted with people of her kind, the fourteen-year-old thought. In response, she bowed politely and smiled, showing her that she understood.

'How about we talk in the living room? We can let Takeru have some sleep then.' Hikari obeyed the older woman's words and followed Natsuko into the living room. She poured her some tea and she gladly accepted. Hikari found the environment rather pleasant. The place was very clean and neat, and there was sufficient decoration to make it lively. There were some photographs printed out and hung on the wall, adding a sense of sophistication to the room. It was hard for her to imagine that an apartment of a single mother and an adolescent son would be so organized. But then, Takeru had always been a conscientious person, and she wouldn't be surprised that he inherited that trait from Takaishi Natsuko.

Natsuko seemed like a genuinely nice person to Hikari. She told her how she persuaded her boss to let her go early so she could come back to take care of her sick child. She also told her that Yamato had been here and only left a while ago, much to Hikari's surprise since she did not hear anything. This added to her guilt of not doing a proper job on taking care of Takeru, but Natsuko reassured her that she and Yamato did not blame her. In fact, they were glad Hikari was here to visit the boy. With the exception of Daisuke and Ken, Natsuko explained, she was the first friend that had come to their apartment.

'_What about Mimi-san?'_ Hikari asked, using her sketchbook. Natsuko had met with deaf or mute people before, so she was very patient in waiting for Hikari to write down her thoughts. Seeing her question brought a grin to her face.

'Mimi is more like a sister to Takeru, really,' the blonde woman chuckled. 'Ever since Takeru met her in Rome four years ago, she has always been a big sister who takes care of the little brother. It's good in a sense that she could fill Yamato's role as an older sibling.'

Hikari felt like she had touched on a sensitive topic, and she instantly regretted asking that question. Quickly scribbling on her sketchbook, she tried to come up with a better topic before the air grew tense.

'It's okay Hikari-chan. I'm not…' Before Natsuko could finish, however, Hikari had finished writing down her thoughts and she showed it to the middle-aged woman.

'_Could you tell me more about Takeru-kun and Mimi-san's encounter and your stay in Rome? I haven't heard them talk about it that much.'_

Natsuko stared at the sketchbook, then at Hikari's pleading eyes. Thinking for a minute, she decided to go along with the young girl's plan. Really, she didn't mind talking about her regrets over giving Takeru a rather uncommon childhood, but she also knew that the brown-haired girl meant well. She could tell Hikari just wanted her to talk about more pleasant things to be happier as well. Knowing that brought a smile to her face.

'Hmm, where should we begin?' She poked her finger at her cheek and appeared to be in deep thought. 'Let's start with why we're in Rome first. It was four years ago when I was transferred to work in the Eternal City…'

So they just went on like that. Mainly Natsuko would talk about what happened, and Hikari would be a good listener and let the woman finish, albeit occasionally raising some questions. They discussed different topics ranging from her work experience to Hikari's interest in photography. The clock on the wall kept ticking, and before they realized it was nearly seven o'clock already.

'Sorry to have kept you for so long, Hikari-chan,' Natsuko apologized as Hikari was putting on her shoes and getting ready to leave. 'Are you sure you don't want me to take you home? Your place is rather far away from here.'

_'It's okay,'_ Hikari shook her head. _'I shouldn't bother you anymore. Besides, it's more important for you to take care of Takeru-kun.'_

Natsuko sighed, knowing that taking care of her son was indeed her top priority. 'Okay then, just be careful. You remember the bus route that I told you about, right?' The crimson-eyed girl nodded. 'That bus should take you to about a block from where you live. Send me a text message when you arrive back, alright? I just want to make sure you get back home safely.'

Hikari laughed at Natsuko's tone. It was just like her own mother's, and she reckoned Natsuko must be a good mother too. She quickly thanked her again and left. Natsuko closed the door and went back into the living room when she heard a familiar voice speak.

'Hikari-san?'

It was a dry whisper, and Natsuko immediately headed to Takeru's room to check on her son. He was sitting on his bed, barely awake, and he looked around the room to find his companion of the afternoon. When he saw his mother instead, he widened his eyes.

'Okaa-san? When did you come back?'

'A couple hours ago,' Natsuko replied as she went to get him a cup of water. 'Hikari-chan actually just left. She has been here for the whole afternoon.'

'What time is it now?' Takeru asked after he swallowed the liquid down his throat.

'Almost seven,' Natsuko said. She refilled the cup of water for her son, telling him to have some more. She put her hand on his forehand to feel his temperature, and she felt it had gone down a lot already. 'I'll go make some dinner. Meanwhile why don't you eat some fruits there?' She pointed at the fruit basket on his desk. 'I believe your friends brought it as a gift?'

'Hikari-san brought it here,' Takeru said, and Natsuko raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. She did not comment on it, however, deciding that Takeru would tell her more about what was between them soon.

'Yamato also stopped by when you're sleeping.'

'He did?' Takaru asked, surprised. Didn't his brother have a gig tonight? That place was two hours from Odaiba!

'He didn't stay long as he had to go back to his show tonight,' the blonde woman went on, 'but when he came here you and Hikari-chan were soundly asleep, so he did not wake you up.'

Takeru looked more confused than ever, and the headache he had been having for all day did not help him think. Hikari was napping too? And Yamato walked in when they were both sleeping?

'I'll tell you more over dinner. Now just take some fruit first.'

Takeru obeyed and grabbed an apple from the basket. His limbs felt more energetic than before, although he wondered if he could raise his arm and make a successful shot tomorrow. Still, he figured he had gotten a lot better already, and he took a bite of the round apple.

'It's sweet,' he commented, with a small smile on his face, more to himself than to his mother who was leaving the room. Natsuko blinked but said nothing.

It certainly was the surprise of the day for the blonde woman in her early forties. Mimi had called her and told her that a 'close friend' of Takeru was taking care of her boy. At first Natsuko thought she meant either Daisuke or Ken, but given how enthusiastically Mimi sounded over the phone she now knew why. Furthermore, Yamato had a mischievous grin on his face when he showed her the picture. That was an expression that her usually quiet son seldom wore.

When she walked to the kitchen, she took out her camera and looked at the picture Yamato had taken. It showed a sleeping Takeru resting on his shoulder, while Hikari was dozing on her arms. Their heads, however, were facing each other, and both looked so peaceful in the photograph. Natsuko found this picture incredibly adorable, especially when their fingers were actually touching each other's. A smile crept across her face when she looked from the picture to her fourteen-year-old son, who was oblivious to her warm gaze. Indeed, he had a lot to tell her later.

* * *

_End of Chapter 7_

* * *

* In Japan, they use the Celsius scale instead of Fahrenheit. In this case, Takeru's temperature (38.9*C) would be about 102*F.

** I'm not a Japanese speaker, but my understanding is that the phrase 'suki desu/好きです' can mean either 'I like it' or 'I like you'. The meaning is simply 'to like', so the object pronoun ('it'/'you') is omitted. Now, this is purely based on my knowledge of having watched many anime and my assumption that Japanese works in similar ways as Chinese.

* * *

Another chapter done! According to the most up-to-date planned schedule, we might be a third into the story…? Well, I don't know, to be honest. I keep having new ideas that I don't know if I should throw them in here or use it in another fic.

As hinted in this chapter, I'll start to write more about Hikari's past in the next few chapters, and Jyou will make his first appearance in next chapter. Still thinking of where to place Koushiro…oh, and I think I haven't properly introduced Sora yet. Also, I find it interesting that some reviewers mention Jun, and honestly I have not thought of adding her to the story before. It'll be interesting to have her here, though, and I'll see what I can do.

Anyway, please kindly review! Also please check out my latest one-shot _'Exit Music'_ too if you have time!


	9. Chapter 8: Their Trust in the Ace

I was in the mood of writing one-shots in previous weeks, and I've uploaded two stories – _'Exit Music'_, an AU Takari fic that I may expand on later, when I'm done with this story, and _'What happens in the bedroom, stays in the living room'_, a humour/friendship fic about Takeru and Hikari's five-year-old son and the other Chosen Children. Both have received quite decent feedback, especially the latter. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed them! And if you haven't yet, please check them out!

A special thanks to _IncarnationofImmortality_, who correctly pointed out that I've been spelling 'Odaiba' wrong as 'Obaida' in all previous chapters. I don't know how that happened, but they're all fixed now. Thank you again for letting me know!

This chapter is about the basketball game that was mentioned in previous chapter. I've never been good at writing action/sport scenes, but trying so is fun to do. I'm not a big basketball fan as I follow football and tennis more (and I'll be hoping for an Andy Murray victory at Wimbledon tomorrow), but I hope the match scene looks decent enough.

Just a note that I'm studying for my GRE now, so in the following chapters please bear with me for throwing in random strange words that modern people seldom use anymore.

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 8: Their Trust in the Ace_

* * *

Hikari shifted her position on the chair as she patiently waited for the doctor to write down his notes. When he finally finished, he passed the note to a nurse standing in the back of the room, and turned back to face the fourteen-year-old.

'That's it for the day, Hikari-chan,' said the doctor with a smile. 'You've been showing progress on the treatment, but as your doctor I just need to remind you again that it takes some time for the result to show. This is a new treatment, after all, and as I told Susumu and Yuuko, we don't know if it really works.'

Hikari nodded. The doctor had said similar things before, and she knew he meant well. It wasn't easy to treat muteness, she was aware, but she was willing to try, even if that meant she might encounter disappointment during and by the end of the process.

'Alright then. Any questions?' Hikari shook her head and the doctor seemed satisfied. 'I have another appointment now, so I can't stay with you any longer. Jyou,' he turned to a young adult standing in the back, 'take Hikari-chan to the bus stop, and help us buy lunch on your way back, will you?'

'For sure, otou-san.' The man named Jyou replied, and he flashed Hikari a warm smile. Before leaving the clinic, Hikari bowed to the doctor, who chuckled. 'Save the politeness, Hikari-chan. Tell Susumu and Yuuko I say hi, and to that naughty older brother of yours as well.' Hikari just giggled soundlessly and nodded, and Jyou led her out of the clinic.

'Okaa-san asks you to come visit her sometime soon,' said Jyou as they passed the big sign of 'Kido Clinic'. 'She really wants to see you and hear you play the piano again.'

Hikari sighed. She really missed her piano lesson with Kido Yoko, who had begun teaching her the piano after her accident. The middle-aged woman treated her like she was her own daughter, and Hikari really appreciated her concern for it helped her go through a very difficult phase of her life. However, since attending Odaiba Junior High she did not have much time for piano lessons anymore, for she was busy catching up with school work of the normal curriculum. That meant she had not seen Kido Yoko in months. She made a mental note to herself that, since summer holiday was approaching, she definitely had to pay a visit soon.

'Don't feel bad though. She knows that you're busy,' Jyou continued. The blue-haired young adult was the son of the doctor who just attended Hikari. Now a medical student in University of Tokyo, he was spending his summer working in his father's clinic. Kido Yuuto was not a specialist in muteness, but he had known Yagami Susumu and Yuuko since he was a child. He was willing to offer free medical service for their mute daughter, especially when the Yagamis could not afford the expensive drugs or surgeries that supposedly could cure muteness effectively. He basically watched Hikari grow too, so he saw no reason in not lending a hand to a daughter-like figure of his.

'_Please tell Yoko-san that I will visit soon,'_ Hikari typed into her phone and showed it Jyou. Although she preferred writing on her sketchbook, it was far more convenient to type on a phone when she was walking.

'I'll let her know about it,' Jyou patted her head and Hikari pouted. Like his parents who treated Hikari as if she was their own daughter, Jyou also thought of the brown-haired girl as the little sister that he did not have. He had two older brothers, but they were always busy studying that he did not really get along well with them. 'So you mentioned that you're going to watch a basketball game today, right?'

'_Yes. The game starts in thirty minutes. My friend is the captain of the team.'_

'Ah, yes, I think you have mentioned that before as well.'

'_He was sick yesterday, but he recovered already! He texted my friends this morning saying that he felt fine and got permission from his coach to play today.'_

Seeing this brought a frown to the medical student's face. 'He's sick yesterday, and he's thinking of playing basketball today?' Jyou questioned while rubbing his chin. 'That doesn't sound good to me, Hikari-chan. He may just be forcing himself to play. What if he is still sick? What if his coach does not realize how sick he is? I know this is the final game of the tournament but he has more things to consider…'

Hearing those remarks made Hikari giggle. This 'older brother' of hers always had a tendency to worry about everything, especially when medical condition was involved. Once Taichi got a cold when he was eight and sneezed non-stop, and Jyou, who was a year older than the brunet, got so scared that he refused to play with Taichi for a whole month, even after the boy was completely healed. Taichi responded by deliberately coughing at all of the blur-haired boy's toys.

'_I'm sure he is fine. He's a sensible person, so he knows if he can play or not.'_

'But still…' Jyou wasn't so sure if he could trust the opinion of a fourteen-year-old boy who probably did not know how to diagnose himself. He did not know what kind of person he was, so he could only trust Hikari's judgment. However, Hikari also had a tendency to trust people easily, which worried him too…

The two kept on talking about this and they soon got to the bus stop. Hikari thanked Jyou again and hopped onto the bus, leaving Jyou behind to keep thinking how sick a person could be to still play sports without any consequences.

* * *

Takeru gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration. The final game of the Regional Tournament was undergoing, but he could only sit on the bench and watch the opponent scored another three-pointer. He bit his lips furiously. Odaiba Junior High was trailing by eleven points, with six minutes left before the final whistle blew. He did not want to end his journey here.

The team was not performing that poorly, but the members had been so used to him being the coordinator on the court that their attacking rhythm was a lot slower today. Takeru fidgeted his fingers anxiously as the team lost possession of the ball again.

Although the coach had approved of him joining the team today, he knew that the captain was not fit enough to play the whole match. So Takeru had been sitting on the bench since the first minute of the game, cheering for his teammates like the other substitute players did. He was not satisfied with just a cheerleading role, though.

'Takaishi, get ready,' the coach ordered as he scratched his head. 'With this going on, we'll lose. I'm counting on you.'

'Yes.' Takeru firmly replied. He stretched his limbs and rose from the bench, getting ready to step in any time. Although his temperature was at a normal level now, his limbs felt exhausted still when he did some practice before the match. However, Takeru knew he did not have a choice at the moment. It's now or never; his team needed him, and he was eager to lead them to victory.

The crowd cheered when Takeru was thrown into the game, and his team members looked relieved for a moment. 'Kaito, to the left,' he ordered as the opponent began to make their offence. 'Ryouta, take number five. I'll handle number ten here.' With his keen vision, the team quickly organized themselves and followed his order to play.

'Good to have you back, captain!' Kaito and Ryouta beamed briefly before turning their focus back on the game. These two were Takeru's closest friends in the basketball team, and reliable teammates that he trusted fully. Ryouta, the short boy with dark hair, was the point guard of the team. Despite being a second-year student, his bright performance on the pitch had basically guaranteed him the captain armband for next year. Kaito was in Takeru's year, and played the position of power forward. He was a steady player who was very good at getting rebounds, and he always shielded Takeru to help the small forward score points. Together the three constituted the backbone of the team, and with a brief exchange of look they knew what they were going to do: take back the match and win the championship.

'Finally, the moment we've been waiting for!' From the stand, Daisuke cheerfully yelled when Takeru stepped onto the court. 'Don't make us sit here for the whole day for nothing, Takeru!'

'Go Takeru-kun! Give them hell!'

Ken and Iori ignored Daisuke and Miyako's passionate outburst and silently cheer for their friends. They had their doubts as to whether the boy should play or not, but they also knew the blond really wanted to play in the Nationals as well. They could only hope that he had made the right choice here.

To their right, Hikari clenched her hands in a praying position. Jyou's words resurfaced in her mind. While Takeru had texted them this morning, saying that he was fine to play today, it was clear he wouldn't be in his best form. She could tell Takeru was very determined in winning this game, but a pessimistic voice in the back of her head also told her that determination would not be enough in the road to glory.

The crowd roared again when Takeru got the ball. He looked around to see he could pass to any of his teammates, but the opponents were defending them tightly. Realizing there was no choice, he knew he had to gamble on this. He forced his way past his opponent, and when he was within his usual shooting range, he stopped and raised his arms, preparing to shoot. His defender jumped in an attempt to block his shot, but it was too late.

'Go Odaiba!'

'You can do it, Takaishi!'

'Takeru-sama!'

Amidst the mixture of different cheering slogans, Takeru kept his cool and made the jump shot. He watched as the ball made a nice parabola in the air, and got through the basket with a nice, clean sound.

'Nine more points. Concentrate, guys!' Takeru yelled after he finally scored his first points of the day. His teammates briefly cheered before going back to their positions. The clock showed they still had a little more than five minutes to catch up on the score.

With each passing second both teams were trying to outscore the others. As the players grew tired, their defence also became looser than before, and Takeru capitalized on this to make some fast breaks. He successfully scored more points, and the opponent team began to focus their defence on him. Sometimes two players would try to close down on him, but he would then quickly pass the ball to his teammates to score. Although they still could not take the lead yet, they were getting closer and closer to the opponent team on the scoreboard.

The crowd kept cheering for their respective teams. Takeru's presence also made many Odaiba Junior High students cheer harder. Daisuke and Miyako were the loudest in showing their support, and Ken also cheered hard for his friend. With less than a minute left, Odaiba Junior High was still trailing by four points. Everyone in the stadium was holding their breath. Both teams showed quality to be the winner, but only one team could make it to the Nationals. Odaiba's students could only put their hope on Takeru.

The said blond was panting hard as he was trying to shrug off his defender near the free-throw line. He felt unusually exhausted but determined right now. They had the possession, and they knew they had to make at least two successful shots to win the game. Ryouta, the point guard of the team, was slowly dribbling towards the opponent's court. He locked his eyes on Takeru and Kaito, and they immediately knew what to do next. Ryouta attempted to break through the tough defence by dashing towards the basket, taking the opponents by surprise. At the same time, Takeru rushed to the three-point line. Kaito, knowing what the plan was, ran towards the blond and set a screen for him, blocking his defender's path.

'It's a pick and roll! Stop number fourteen!'

Takeru could hear the opponent team's coach yelling at his players, but they were too late for that. The players were trying to block Ryouta's breakthrough that they, save for Takeru's designated marker, did not see him reaching the three-point line. Seeing his captain was on the spot, Ryouta jumped and passed the ball to his captain. Takeru received the ball and, in a swift motion, brought his elbow up and sent the ball towards the basket. It made a nice curve in the air and perfectly dropped through the hoop, creating a clear 'chop' sound that made the whole stadium erupt in cheers.

'One more point to go! We can do this!' Clenching his fist in celebration, Takeru did not forget his duty and quickly ran back to his side of the court. They needed to make one more shot, but that lay on the premise that the opponent did not score at all during the final seconds. They had the ball now, and they were not eager to attack. Naturally, Odaiba conducted a full-court press, targeting the player with possession and others around him. The opponent's point guard avoided a steal and ran forward, along with other players. He passed the ball to his teammate, but unfortunately to him, Ryouta saw through his passing route and intercepted it. There were twenty seconds left.

'Go Odaiba!' The crowd went crazy again as Ryouta dribbled towards the opponent court. The opponent desperately tried to block his way, pressing on him while avoiding a foul. Fifteen seconds left.

Takeru gritted his teeth. They were so close to victory now, and he knew he had to make the final shot to seal the game. It was his responsibility, as captain of the team, to lead his team to victory. Besides, his teammates were all looking at him with expectation and confidence. Even though he was not in his best, he was trusted by his teammates to make the final call. Swallowing hard, he mentally prepared himself for the final call. Eight seconds left.

Ryouta became anxious to pass the ball. He was heavily guarded at the moment and he knew he had to pass the ball soon, or they would lose the game. From the corner of his eyes he saw Kaito had just gotten away from his defender and had space for shooting. The short boy, with a flick of his finger, threw the ball towards his senpai. Four seconds.

Kaito raised his arm and was confronted instantly by his defender. Yet, the power forward never even thought about making this shot. He knew that of the two of them, Takeru always had the better chance of scoring, no matter what. It was the trust in the ace of the team. So without really looking, he passed the ball to his right to find Takeru, who was waiting near the free-throw line. Three seconds.

Upon receiving the ball, Takeru quickly made a fake move and tricked his opponent into believing he would move to the right side to shoot. When the defender took a step back to prevent that, Takeru grabbed the chance to dash towards the opposite direction. The defender had a look of horror on his face when he saw Takeru rising in mid-air, making the last shot of the game. Another opponent team member saw this and jumped, trying to block his attempt, but he could not reach it either. One second.

The audience held their breath as they watched the ball gliding towards the hoop. Even Daisuke and Miyako grew silent. Along with Ken, Iori and Hikari, they watched with their eyes widened as Takeru jumped and shot the ball. Hikari kept her praying posture and hoped for the ball to go in. She knew this meant a lot to the blond, and she really wanted his effort so far to pay off. Anticipating the ball to go through the hoop, all of them leaned forward, sitting on the edge of their seats, and waited for the deciding moment to come.

To Takeru, it was like the world had stopped making any sound. The basketball did not float towards the hoop in slow motion as he saw in movies. He also did not encounter those moments where his whole life flashed in front of his eyelids. None of those mattered when the ball left his hand. He could no longer hear the cheers of the audience or the constant yelling the coaches sitting by the sideline, or the various chants of the bench players or those playing in the court. His full attention was on the round, orange ball that would decide whether his effort over the year had paid off.

He wished someone could tell him what exactly had happened, because in the next second all he could see was the ball making recoiled motion on the ground, bouncing slowly towards the wall behind the basket, and his opponents jumping and throwing their arms around each other. Kaito dropped himself on the ground and let out a long, disappointed sigh, while Ryouta broke down in tears. His other teammates covered their faces with their hands, and his coach ran his fingers through his hair in resentment. Takeru did not see any of them, however: he looked at the part of the rim where the basketball had just hit and bounced away from, and he kept staring at it when everyone around him was moving. Slowly, he put his hands on his hips and lowered his head, preventing others from seeing his face. (*)

'It…it didn't go in…?' Daisuke whispered, crestfallen, as if breaking the silence was a sinful act. Miyako looked agape at the scoreboard, and Iori shook his head in disappointment.

'It's over, Dai,' Ken murmured, probably more to himself than to the mahogany-haired boy. He put his face in his hands and he rubbed his eyes and cheeks in frustration, not quite believing what he had seen. Hikari had the same reaction, and she was on the edge of tears when she saw Takeru's disconsolate posture. She probably would not have reacted in such way if he had shown more emotion in this. Instead, he just kept his head down with his arms at his side. She didn't even want to imagine how he must be feeling right now.

The silence that dawned upon them was unbearable. All Odaiba supporters were stunned. They could hardly believe that they were so close to victory and the chance to play in the Nationals. Some started crying too and the others were too emotional to say anything now. By contrast, the opponent school's supporters celebrated loudly and vividly. They began chanting their cheering slogans and some even rushed to the court to hug the players.

Takeru began to raise his head and watched the scene unfold in front of his moist eyes. He patted his teammates on the back, and comforted those, like Ryouta, who could not stop crying. He squeezed their shoulders gently and urged them to salute their opponent, as customary practice entailed. A tiny, rigid smile that never reached his eyes appeared on his face.

'Let's thank them for the game,' he told them. 'The award ceremony is right afterwards. Let us attend it like real sports players do.'

That was what he said, but he did not care much about it entirely. What was the point now when they had lost the championship? When they had let the ticket to the Nationals slip from their hands? When _he_ had failed the team and cost them the dream they had? Takeru merely said those respectful words as he remembered his duty as the captain of the team. He accepted a certificate on behalf of the team and led his teammates into collecting the silver medals and shaking hands with their opponents. When the ceremony was over, the forced smile was gone, and Takeru had to resist the urge of throwing the silver medal at the presenters when they went on to pass the championship trophy to the opponent school. Takeru, for the whole time, just stared blankly as his opponents lifted the trophy high and proud, without a care in the world.

* * *

Takeru's friends waited for him outside the stadium. It was almost half an hour after the final whistle of the game, and most people had left already, either in joy or in anguish. They had yet to see Takeru, though, and they did not feel right about leaving before they knew how he was handling it. It's not like the basketball team had not lost before, but it was the first time they saw Takeru wearing that emotionless expression on his face, and that really haunted them.

'Takeru-senpai has left already,' Ryouta, upon leaving the changing room, told them when he spotted them standing outside. 'He says he wants to be alone for a while.'

When all of them thought that Takeru had had enough solitary time by now, Ryouta's comment poured ice water over them. Somehow Takeru had managed to sneak out of the stadium without them noticing, and Ryouta was the last person left in the changing room. He had now regained his composure, but his dry and red eyes clearly indicated it had taken him quite a while to settle down.

'See you at school, senpai-tachi. Good luck in the National Tournament.'

Perhaps it was more than just concern for their friends that made Daisuke and Ken feel horrible right now. Along that sentiment, there was also a sense of guilt there: the football team had made it to the Nationals, and the basketball team had not. With much ease, the football team won the Regional Tournament by defeating their opponent four-nil. Daisuke, scoring a hat-trick that day, had made Takeru promise that they would win the Nationals together this year. The blond, being his usual, cheerful self at that time, agreed with a grin. None of them thought the vow would be broken so soon.

Daisuke let out a long sigh, while Miyako just looked confused. 'So what do we do now?' She asked. 'We've been standing here the whole time while Takeru-kun is in who-knows-where.'

'Typical Takeru,' Daisuke said as he folded his arms. 'When he's in a foul mood he'll just sneak to somewhere else and meditate.'

'Then we should go see him now, right? To see how he's doing!'

'He'll be fine,' Ken stated. 'I should have thought of that. Actually, even if he's right here it won't be of any use. He won't listen when he does not feel like listening.' He turned to look at his friends, who looked at him with a confused expression now. 'Takeru will be fine. He just needs some time to himself, as Ryouta said. I don't think we should worry too much.'

'But…' Miyako tried to argue again. She couldn't really comprehend why they, Takeru's best friends, now acted like they needed not care at all. Shouldn't they be by his side now to comfort him, to console him, to make sure he's fine? Yet the purple-haired girl failed to convince them otherwise. Daisuke and Ken had assured them that it was fine for them to split today. Miyako, fuming, dragged a concerned Iori away with her. Daisuke and Ken decided to go home as well, so that left Hikari, who lived around here. Not knowing what to do exactly, as she was still worried about her blond friend, she decided to just take a walk nearby. She saw Miyako's points and agreed with her, but at the same time she felt conflicted about Ken's statement of Takeru wanting some time alone. She wasn't sure how the boy dealt with defeat before, but if she were him she would like to have a shoulder to lean on right now.

She randomly walked into the park near the apartment building she lived in. Entering this place brought a tiny smile to her face. She recalled a seven-year-old Taichi bringing her here and they would play football together. Hikari missed the time of kicking the round ball with her brother dearly. It was a very fond piece of memory in her mind, as she knew how much Taichi loved football. If given the chance, Hikari thought that nine times out of ten, Taichi would choose football over anything else in the world.

With the sole exception being Hikari herself.

As she recalled past events in her life, she came to the basketball court. It was located on the edge of the park, and it wasn't that far from the school, so sometimes students from Odaiba Junior High would come here to play. Today she did not hear any sound of basketball game going on. Instead, she spotted a boy of her age sitting on the sideline. She gasped.

Takeru was sitting there with his arms wrapping around his knees. He rocked himself back and forth slowly, his hands rubbing the silver medal impartially, and he did not see Hikari approaching until she was close enough. He turned his head in her direction, raised his eyebrows in surprise, and gave her a tiny smile after he recovered quickly.

'Hey, Hikari-san,' he greeted, and the brown-haired girl nodded in response, her eyes still looking at the young blond with deep concern. His gentle expression worried her even more. Hikari hesitated at first, but then took a seat next to him.

Takeru, who usually initiated the conversation between them, stayed quiet and kept staring at nothing in particular. Hikari tried to follow his glance, but she soon gave up after Takeru just aimlessly gawked at everything. The two just sat in silence, and Hikari was anxious to break it. Although she could not speak, maybe she should find a way to make Takeru say something? While she mostly did not mind the silence between them, she could sense the tension in the air growing as every minute passed by, and she did not feel good about it.

She grabbed her mechanical pencil and sketchbook from her bag and was prepared to write something, but she did not know what to put down. For once she was at loss. What exactly should she tell him? That she was sorry he lost the game? That he should cheer up? That it was just a game and not the end of the world, as her parents liked to say? Those sounded easy, but pointless as well. She had seen Taichi in his state of maniac after he lost his football games. Those words did not help at all, not to mention Takeru was unusually calm and composed right now, which frightened her more and made her wonder if he would buy it.

'Have I ever told you how I became friends with Daisuke and Ken, Hikari-san?'

Hikari was startled by the boy's words. She did not even realize that it had been fifteen minutes since she sat down, and the boy had not said a word until now. Hearing his voice in a natural tone, as if nothing had happened, was somewhat soothing for the moment. She shook her head slightly.

'I see,' said Takeru casually. 'I'm going to buy some drinks. Do you want anything?'

The rest of the time went by rather smoothly, to Hikari's surprise. Takeru bought her a can of lemonade, and he got himself a bottle of apple juice, his favourite. After he returned, he started talking about his past with his two friends. Hikari learnt about his experience when he just got back to Japan and his reluctance to get close to others, but through a 'stupid event', as Takeru described so, the three came to view each other in a different angle. Their friendship started in this basketball court, Takeru said, and since then this place had become a sanctuary for him.

'I just feel comfortable here,' Takeru looked at the birds flying in the sky, spreading their wings freely. 'Whenever I feel sad or lost, I will come here to get my head clear.'

Hikari looked at him with troubled eyes, as if asking if he felt any better by now. Takeru sensed her glance and sighed, knowing what the girl wanted to ask.

'It's just…' he gulped a few times before continuing, 'we're just that close to winning the game. I can still see the ball bouncing off the hoop right now.' He moved his hands in the air, making a shooting posture in slow motion. 'Every time I try to think of something more positive, the whole scenario will just replay in my mind, and I can't get over that.' The blond ceased talking and now just gazed fuzzily at the hoop on the court. He looked less distressed than he was during the award ceremony, but the frown on his face deepened every time he blinked, his vision not leaving the red hoop hanging proudly in the court.

'_Whenever onii-chan loses a football game,'_ Hikari began to write, _'he either runs around the neighbourhood before he tires himself out, or he eats a whole pack of chocolate until okaa-san starts yelling at him._

'_It's okay to vent out your anger in different ways, even if they may sound totally unreasonable. What matters is that you should not hold up your anger and blame yourself for everything, Takeru-kun.'_

'It's not that simple,' Takeru sighed. He knew Hikari meant well, but false words of comfort did not work well on him. 'I let everyone down. Kaito, Ryouta, my teammates, the coach…' he rubbed his cheeks, '…then you guys who came to support me, and also onii-san, Mimi-san and my parents, who aren't here today, but I know they all look forward to seeing me play in the Nationals…' His voice started to crack, and his companion could see droplets of tears threatening to fall from the corner of his eyes.

Hikari wondered if he was mainly upset that he had disappointed his family. She knew that Yamato had his senior high supplementary exams today, and Mimi had an event in another city. Takeru's parents, though…yesterday Natsuko already told her that she could not make it, as she had to make up for the hours she had missed to take care of her sick son. The redwood-eyed girl had never met Takeru's father before, but from what Daisuke said the man was on an assignment in Hokkaido now and could not possibly come. He had added that Takeru and the man were never really close. But still, it might have added to Takeru's guilt of disappointing them, Hikari reckoned. He had so much burden on his shoulders that it had crashed him, and she wanted him to let go of his trouble. He shouldn't have to bear this much.

'_You cannot change the past, Takeru-kun,'_ Hikari kept writing after Takeru's rant. _'You can only live with the consequence of it. Think about it the other way, your performance in the last five minutes have given the team hope. You were the heart of the team, and without you there we might have lost long ago._'

Takeru just stayed quiet as he read Hikari's words.

'_After onii-chan is done with his radical behaviour, he will just slap himself and then make sure he will win next time. It isn't easy, but over the years he has learnt to fall sometimes in order to climb higher next time.'_ Hikari took a deep breath and looked at Takeru with determined, yet caring, eyes. '_Don't be afraid of losing, Takeru-kun. No one is blaming you for the defeat. Instead we are all grateful that you tried your best when you're still sick. We all have faith that you will get what you want some time soon. We will always be here to support you.'_

Takeru stared at her sketchbook, reading the message there word by word. All of a sudden, he started laughing. Hikari was stunned by the sudden change of mood of the boy, but Takeru just kept laughing still. He leaned back and let his body fall on the ground, facing the sky with a genuine smile on his face.

'You know, that sounds just like what I told the sobbing juniors who blamed themselves for the defeat before I left the changing room,' he wiped his eyes as tears were flowing out when he was laughing, 'and I didn't think that my own words would be used against myself.'

Hikari looked visibly relieved at hearing that, as Takeru went on. 'I still felt like I've failed the team,' he raised a finger to let Hikari, who was frowning at him, know that he was not finished, 'but at the same time I can spend the rest of the year training the juniors so they can win in winter and next year, on my behalf.' The blond scratched his head as he wore a smug grin on his face. 'They will be surprised to learn that I can be a very strict coach, and I do mean a very, very strict one.'

Hikari beamed at the change in the boy's tone. She was glad he did not look as tense as before. She wasn't sure if her words caused the change, but at least he seemed happier now.

'Thank you, Hikari-san,' Takeru turned to look at the brown-haired girl. 'Thank you for listening to my story and reminding me that I should not dwell in my own regret.'

The fourteen-year-old shook her head and smiled in return. _'It's you who help yourself, Takeru-kun. I didn't do much.'_

'But you did,' Takeru insisted, leaning his body towards her direction, covering her hands with his, 'and I really, truly, thank you for that.'

They were sitting much closer to each other now as their eyes locked. Hikari, while feeling the warmth of his skin, did not retreat and kept gazing into his ocean blue eyes. They kept staring at one another intently, until Takeru suddenly noticed his act and shrank his hand away. Hikari also put her hand away as if she had just realized their hands were in contact. Both looked away at the same time, their faces flushing a thousand shades of crimson.

'It's…it's late now,' Takeru said as he rose from the ground. 'We should go,' he offered Hikari a hand, and she accepted while still blushing, allowing the boy to pull her up from the ground. Takeru offered to walk her home and they walked together to get out of the park.

A safe distance from them stood two figures, who had been watching the whole scenario for quite a while. One of them grinned upon seeing the two smiling at each other, and the other also looked physically relieved.

'Mimi-san is right, you know,' Daisuke stated as he crossed his arms. 'They do have something going on.'

'Wouldn't you believe it,' Ken said, sounding genuinely happy for his friends. They had come because they knew Takeru would be here. They did not say this to the others at first as they thought Takeru would not entertain a large party visiting him, but when they saw Hikari accidentally locating him and consoling him, they decided to step back and let the brown-haired girl do the trick. They speculated that if anyone was to comfort the boy now, Hikari had the best chance of succeeding. And she did not disappoint.

The blue-haired boy saw his friends beginning to leave the court, and he reckoned it was time for them to do so as well. 'We should leave now too. The next bus is in ten minutes.'

Daisuke nodded in agreement. As he and Ken left the scene he gave one last look at Takeru and Hikari's direction, and he smirked. He was happy that something was going on between his good friends, and that he now had something new to tease Takeru about.

* * *

_End of Chapter 8_

* * *

* Takeru's disconsolate posture is my little tribute to the legendary Italian footballer Roberto Baggio's famous stand after he missed the penalty in the final of the FIFA World Cup 1994, causing Italy to lose to Brazil. Even though I did not watch him play at his prime (1990s), I was still amazed by his skills when I started watching football in early 2000s. I'm a huge Italian football fan, and although this is not relevant to the story, I just selfishly want to add this to the story after I recently came across an article about Baggio's career.

* * *

I don't think Mr and Mrs Kido's names are mentioned in the series, so I'm making them up here. I couldn't think of a way of giving Jyou more appearances here, so he only got a brief one. It also took me a while to decide if Takeru should actually win the game. However, after rereading the classic manga _Slam Dunk_ I decided a defeat may be better.

Next chapter will serve more as a filler chapter before the School Festival. Sora will make her official appearance, although it will just be a brief one. I've also thought of a way to include Koushiro in the story, although that also means he won't appear until maybe five chapters later.

Some people have asked if this will turn into a Mimato, and the truth is I haven't decided yet. It wasn't in my original plan for the story, but it wouldn't hurt to include it here, so I'm still thinking. I'm also having second thoughts on Kenyako. I said it's a 'maybe' when I started the story, and given the two had not had much interaction so far I'm wondering if I should set it aside.

Please review to let me know what you think! And check out my two one-shots as well!


	10. Chapter 9: A Stab in the Front

This is part one of the 'School Festival arc', as I deem it in my notebook. This is more of a filler chapter though, as the School Festival takes place in the next chapter. I've seen a lot of School Festival episodes in various anime that I feel like I have to include it in the story.

Chapter title derives from a quote of Oscar Wilde. Revealing the full quote will spoil the content, so feel free to look for it after you're done reading the chapter.

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 9: A Stab in the Front_

* * *

Sounds of heavy panting and running footsteps echoed in the arena. Ten young boys were running in the basketball court, with five in defensive position and the other five trying to make it to the basket.

'Ryouta, bend your knees lower! Hideyoshi, press on your opponent and limit his movement! You're giving him too much room now!' Takeru shouted at the defending team as they struggled to get back possession. They had been playing for quite some time already, but the blond was not giving them any time to slack off.

Since the Regional Tournament had ended, the third-year students were no longer required to participate in team training. Odaiba Junior High would participate in the Winter Tournament with only first and second-year students, so third-year students like Takeru could help train the juniors on a voluntary basis.

The remaining team members were divided into two teams. Takeru acted as the instructor of one team while the coach took care of the other. It was just team practice, but Takeru treated it as seriously as he could. He had high hopes of his juniors, and he wanted to make sure he left the team in good shape. The other team just missed a shot and his team got the rebound.

'Don't rush, Ryouta. Slow down and study your opponent's movements first!'

'Hai!' Ryouta responded and whipped some sweat off his forehead. He observed the opponent team carefully, and found that one of his teammate was unmarked. He quickly threw the ball directly to him, and the team scored two points.

'That's a nice pass! And a good shot, Keiji! Now keep it going!' Takeru clapped a few times encouragingly. He had fully recovered from the match five days ago, mentally and physically. Now, all he cared about was how to better prepare his juniors so they could win in the Winter Tournament and in next year's Regionals.

* * *

On the other side of Odaida Junior High, another school team was practising for a different reason. The football team, unlike the basketball team, had qualified for the National Tournament, and the team members were getting themselves ready for the games in early August.

Ken placed the ball in between the penalty area and the half-way line. 'Ready, Atsuya?' He called. The goalkeeper named Atsuya nodded and rubbed his gloves anxiously. Ken took a deep breath and put his full attention on the ball. Taking a few steps back, he made a short run and kicked the ball right at the centre. The ball made its way towards the goal in swift motion, dipping in mid-air after it went over the practice wall. Atsuya saw where the ball was going and jumped to his right, but he only managed to let the ball pass through the tip of his fingers as it crouched into the net.

'Damn it!' The tall goalkeeper punched the ground and groaned. 'Ken, you're too good on this,' he spat and threw the ball to his vice-captain, ready for another round.

'You almost got it already, Atsuya,' Ken just gave a small smile and positioned himself for another kick, this time standing closer to the net. He knew his goalkeeper hated conceding goals more than anything, even if it was just practice. But then, any team would like to have someone as determined as Atsuya to guard between the posts.

Some players, like Ken, were practising free kick on one side of the pitch, while some played a six-to-six game on the other side. This allowed them to work on their short passes and teamwork. Daisuke was one of the twelve players taking part in that exercise.

'Pass it to me, Takafumi! No one's marking me!' He yelled, and his teammate quickly passed the ball to him as he made a run towards the goal. Only the goalkeeper was in between him and the empty net. Sensing the goalkeeper was running out to block his shot, he slowed down his motion and attempted a chip shot, carefully flicking the ball with the top of his boot. The ball floated towards the empty net slowly, but it did not go in. Instead, it hit the crossbar and bounced out of the line.

'What the heck!' Daisuke screamed, holding his head in disbelief. He thought it was a chilly finish, and he could only moan in disappointment at the missed opportunity.

'You should have just dribbled past me to score, Motomiya-buchou,' the goalkeeper told him as he picked up the ball and put it on the ground, ready to restart the game again. He was a second-year student who was likely to be the first-choice goalkeeper next year, after Atsuya graduated. 'Your dribbling is the best in the team, so it'd be more likely a goal than a chip shot.'

'Just wanna try something new,' Daisuke beamed and ran to his half. 'C'mon, keep it going, Minato! I'll definitely score against you today!'

* * *

While the golden trio were busy with their respective practices, Hikari was staying in the classroom, helping out with the preparation for the upcoming School Festival. There were only three days left before the big day. Her class had a special theme for the class exhibition, and everyone was now trying out the costumes they had to wear on that day.

'Wow! You look great, Hikari-chan! I think I'm having a crush on you now!'

Hikari's cheeks turned pink as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white shirt with a black tail coat that was trimmed to fit onto her figure, and a pair of tight black trousers that implicitly showed how thin her legs were. Her attire was accompanied by a green skinny tie, resting cosily on her developing breasts. The other girls in the room squealed and surrounded her, making her feel uncomfortable with the attention she was receiving.

Their class decided to hold a butler café this year. All the students who would be servers on that day were required to wear a butler suit. Now the girls were trying their outfits in the classroom as the boys tried theirs in another room. Out of safety concern, they borrowed the classroom key from their form teacher and locked the door, weary that the boys might peak on them.

'Don't gang up on Hikari-chan like that,' one girl hid a sly smirk and put her hands on the brown-haired girl's shoulders. 'I think the bigger concern is...whom does she want to show this outfit to the most?'

Hikari did not really understand what that question entailed at first, but she sensed something was wrong when she saw the sparks of interest growing in the eyes of every girl present in the room.

'I think the choices are rather obvious, don't you think?' Another girl smirked. 'You always hang out with Ichijouji, Motomiya and Takaishi. Don't tell me you don't harbour any feelings for any of them, Hikari-chan!'

Now she knew what the problem was. While her classmates were kind and friendly people, they would easily lose their usual sanity (as Daisuke put it) when the topic of discussion was about the opposite sex. Hikari did not mind listening to their gossip, yet she felt very awkward whenever she became part of the discussion.

'Let's see…could it be Ichijouji-kun?'

'But he is the genius type, right? Sometimes it just feels like he's not on the same level as us…'

'What about Motomiya-kun? He's very energetic and is friendly with everyone. It's very easy to get along with him.'

'Or Takaishi-kun? C'mon, Hikari-chan, you sit next to one of the hottest guys in school! Don't you feel attracted to him by any means?'

The girls' vigorous gossiping were ceased by an impatient cough from the other side of the room. A girl with shoulder-length orange hair smiled warmly at the girls who had temporarily forgotten her existence. Her mature appearance and her well-developed figure made her look authoritative in front of these fourteen, fifteen-year-old girls. 'I don't mean to interrupt, but I just need to know if there's anything I need to change about the outfits you guys are wearing.'

'Oh, we're terribly sorry Takenouchi-senpai!' The girls frantically apologized and shifted their attention back to their clothes. They took turn standing in front of the mirror to see if the size of their costume was right, and also helped check if the others looked good too. Hikari took this time to let out a relieved sigh and walked towards the orange-haired girl.

'_Thank you, Sora-san,' _she mouthed, glad that the older girl helped her out of her distress.

'No problem, Hikari-chan,' she grinned, 'although I do want to know if there's someone that you'd want to show this cute outfit to.'

Hikari felt her cheeks burning again. She was not used to being asked such questions, and she found it embarrassing with the question coming from the eighteen-year-old. She shook her head, hoping the girl named Sora would drop the topic, but she was rather persistent.

'C'mon, you're telling me there isn't a single boy that you are interested in?'

Her teasing tone did not go unnoticed, and Hikari glared at her, pouting. Sora laughed.

'Takenouchi-senpai, I think we're all good here.' Akemi, the class representative, announced. The other girls nodded in agreement. They went on to discuss the clothes a bit more, before Sora wished them good luck and left the classroom.

'Thank you very much, Hikari-chan! I'm really glad that you managed to get Takenouchi-senpai to help us out on the costumes!'

When the class first decided to do a butler café for the School Festival, the main trouble they had was where to find enough butler attires for everyone. That was when Hikari suggested she knew someone who had connections with the fashion industry, and they were surprised to learn she approached Takenouchi Sora for this. Sora was a famous tennis player in the school when she studied here, and also a popular figure among the juniors as well since she always came back to support the tennis team. She also had relatives working in the fashion industry, so they could get a good discount from making these outfits.

'It is a good thing that Sora-san is dating your older brother, Hikari-chan. Thanks to that we can get these butler uniforms with a very cheap price!'

The girls laughed and Hikari giggled as well. She was really happy she could help make the preparation easier for the class that she really liked.

'However,' the evil smirk returned on Akemi's face, and Hikari's shoulders tensed, 'you haven't answered our question yet. Who is it that you like?'

Hikari blushed again and tried to get them to talk about other things, but she failed miserably. 'Don't forget how our system works that day: a boy and a girl will serve a table together, so we can set you up to work with one of them that day, as a token of thanks for getting Takenouchi-senpai to help us.' She winked, and the other girls also voiced their approval. While the girls would love to spend their shifts with one of the golden trio, they also decided to let Hikari choose first. In fact, they had discussed in private about it, and they all agreed to do it because they knew Hikari would need someone to help her out on that day, and the brown-haired girl deserved that after helping out a lot on their preparation. Besides, they knew Hikari was close to the three, so she would probably feel more comfortable working with any one of them than other boys in the class.

'Don't make us wait! Tell us!' The girls kept pressing and Hikari found herself on the back of the room now, as the others were looking at her expectantly. In a way, she felt like the last lamb standing in front of a group of wild, starving wolves. She was only saved when they heard a knock on the door, and a boy's voice asked if he could come in.

While the girls had changed back to their school uniforms already, the classroom remained still after the boy asked that. It wasn't they didn't want to open the door. It was just that the voice sounded too familiar for them to move right now.

* * *

Takeru stretched his arms as he made his way to the school building. On his way he was thinking about the performance of the juniors. While they had great potentials, they still needed more training in tactics. He reminded himself to talk to Ryouta about that later. It was something that the new captain should be aware of.

He spotted someone leaving the school building on his way, and he was shocked to find out who that person was. He knew her, and he had not seen her in quite a while.

'Sora-san!'

Sora, who was originally texting on her phone, raised her head and was just as surprised to see the blond. It took her some seconds to remember that he studied here too. 'Takeru-kun!' She smiled and greeted him. 'You've grown taller since last time I saw you.'

'Hey, I'm a healthy teenager. That's only to be expected,' he grinned. 'What are you doing here? Are you here to visit the tennis team? But I don't think they have any practice today?'

Sora gently shook her head. 'No, I'm just here to drop off some clothes. I'm asked to help a class on getting some butler attires as they're going to do a butler café on the School Festival.'

'That's my class!' Takeru exclaimed and Sora widened her eyes in response, surprised again. 'I didn't know you're the one helping our class on getting the outfits! I heard from my classmate that they found an alumnus to help, but I didn't know it was you!'

'Such a small world. Who would have thought?' Sora chuckled before her expression turned solemn. 'How's your brother doing, Takeru-kun?'

Takeru's grin faded upon Sora's question. 'Well, you know, just the usual. I don't get to see him a lot, and he's spending a lot of time with his band,' Takeru paused, 'as usual,' he whispered in an imperturbable tone.

'I see,' Sora closed her eyes, as if reminiscing about something, and then she looked at Takeru again. 'Tell your brother I say hi. I haven't seen him in a while.'

'Sure.'

After his short reply, the two stared awkwardly at each other before Sora offered an apologetic smile. She excused herself as she had to leave, and Takeru waved her goodbye. He looked at her departing figure with a slightly troubled expression on his usually placid face. Thinking about his brother and Sora brought a sigh out of his mouth, and he continued to walk towards his classroom.

When he arrived at the door, he saw a note on the door saying 'don't come in or die!', and he remembered the girls were trying out their costumes today. The boys also had to try theirs, but Takeru was helping out with the basketball team so he did not get to see if his costume fit yet. Good that he read the sign first, he thought, or he didn't know what Akemi would do to him. He knocked on the door.

'Hey everyone, it's Takaishi. Are you all done with changing yet? Can I come in?'

Before he knocked he heard noises in the room, but now it was dead quiet. That brought a frown on his face. He was sure they were in there, so why didn't any of them respond?

'Erm, if you are not done yet I can come back later…'

Before he finished, the door was slid wide open, and Takeru saw the girls were either nervously looking at anywhere but him, or staring at him with evil smirks on their faces. He raised his eyebrows but did not comment on that, figuring they were probably just gossiping before.

'Your costume is right over there, Takeru-kun,' Akemi pointed at a bag on the corner of the room. 'Daisuke-kun and Ken-kun's are there as well.'

'They'll come pick them up when the football team practice is over,' Takeru walked to where the bag was and knelt in front of it. Glancing at the content, he sighed.

'There is no chance of me backing out now, right?'

'It would be best if you don't, Takeru-kun. Many girls do look forward to seeing you in that costume.'

Akemi's reply, along with the charmingly bright smile on her face, sent a chill down Takeru's spine. He could sense the unspoken phrase of _'I'd like to see you try bailing out on me'_ in the long-haired girl's saccharine tone.

While Senjougahara Akemi was a very dutiful and diligent class representative, she was also known to be a very calculating person that some called her a 'haraguro' behind her back. Takeru did not really know what that meant, but he knew well enough not to mess with Akemi to guarantee his own safety. He had heard stories of people who had disobeyed her in the past, and he always gulped whenever he thought of what happened to them. At least it was a good thing Akemi was not interested in him, or the opposite sex in general… (*)

'Do you girls need any help here?' He asked, trying to change the topic.

'Yes, actually. Can you help us…' Akemi surveyed the room and assigned a few duties to her classmates. Some boys had returned now, after being notified that the girls were done changing, and they all worked together in hopes that they could be fully prepared for the School Festival in a few days.

* * *

Hikari excused herself and went to the bathroom shortly after Takeru entered the classroom. She splashed water on her face, slapped her face lightly, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She needed a way to lower the temperature on her cheeks. What she had endured in the classroom was too much for her to handle.

It wasn't the first time she had been asked who she liked. Heck, even her own mother had asked her about her romantic life! She had expected that question when she knew she was hanging out with the golden trio, and Daisuke had joked that she should just say she was dating all three of them to save herself the trouble of explaining. That remark earned him a smack in the head from Ken and Takeru, and a giggle from Hikari herself.

Back then, things were so simple and she did not have any problem answering questions about her relationship with the three. So why was it different now? She was still good friends with them, despite the drama with Saki on the last week of May. Their friendship had also strengthened a lot after that, and they gradually opened up more to each other as well. Hikari had learnt more about the three and she shared stories of her life in the special institution for disabled children. They took her to see the Teenage Wolves' concert, and she attended many of their inter-school games. She had never felt happier in her life, with those three by her side to walk her through the normal school life she had always dreamt of.

Hikari looked down at the sink and locked herself in deep thought. She liked the golden trio, that's for sure, because they were her friends! They cared about her and she cared about them. Just like the time when Takeru was upset after the basketball team lost the Regional Final and she lent him her ears, or the time when the blond told her that he really wanted to be friends with her after she was threatened by Saki, or the funny expression he made when he failed to deal with the black cat on the same day…

Hikari halted her thinking process when she realized an incongruous smile had formed on her face, her cheeks were flushing like mad, and all she had in her mind was an image of a smiling Takaishi Takeru. She widened her eyes

What did this mean? Why was it that she could only think about him and not the other two? She put her hands on her burning cheeks. Sure, she could name the times when those two were kind to her as well, but it was a different feeling of happiness than when the blond was involved. Hikari blinked.

Did she have feelings for Takeru?

When Akemi asked if she wanted to work with Daisuke or Ken on the day of School Festival, she could just shrug it off. However, when Takeru's name was mentioned she would have this strange, warm feeling in her stomach, and she could not think properly afterwards.

Thinking about that made her recall the time when they shared a friendly hug in the basketball team's changing room. She felt warm and safe in his arms, especially when he had stressed that he really wanted to be friends with her. He accepted her because of who she was and not because he was acting out of pity. Recalling that moment brought a tiny smile on her face…

Then, she remembered on the first of July she visited a sick Takeru at his apartment. While he wasn't feeling well, he still was patient enough to teach her how to play the finger. When she pressed the wrong string and felt stupid about making the mistake, he would just smile and gently put her fingers on the right position…

And then there were many times when they were parting ways, only to find themselves holding each other's gaze. She didn't really understand why, and whenever they finally broke eye contact they would turn their head away in embarrassment. However, she always found herself drawn into that pair of mesmerizing ocean blue eyes, as if she could just stare at it and ignore her surroundings…

Hikari blinked hard and stared at her stunned expression in the mirror. This certainly was not what she had planned for when she entered Odaiba Junior High.

* * *

'When are you going to ask Hikari-chan out?'

Takeru spat out the burger that he was chewing and coughed frantically. He raised his eyes to stare at Daisuke, who had an innocent expression on his face. Ken ruffled his hair and sighed, wondering when his friend would know not to make any fatuous remark with his big mouth.

'Very subtle, Dai.'

'What?' The mahogany-haired boy rebuked, grabbing his can of soda and pouring the content into his mouth.

'What are you talking about?' Takeru asked amidst coughing. Daisuke rolled his eyes as if Takeru had just asked how he knew the earth was not round.

'You like her, don't you?'

'Who told you that?' Takeru argued back, but a faint blush was visible on his face. Daisuke widened his eyes.

'So you don't like her?'

'I didn't say that!'

Ken kept chewing his burger. He thought it tasted rather dry. He made a mental note to himself that next time he should order the one with mushroom sauce. This beef burger with extra lettuce was not juicy enough.

'So do you like her or not like her? It's a simple question, Takeru.'

'I don't get why you're suddenly asking this.'

'C'mon, Takeru, everyone can tell there is something going on between you and Hikari-chan.'

Ken made a face. That was what Mimi had told them when they had not noticed anything, but he chose not to comment on it.

'There is nothing going on between me and Hikari-san,' Takeru stated forcefully, wondering how Daisuke even got the idea that 'everyone' knew there was something going on. Meanwhile, he was trying his best to fight off the blush on his face.

'I mean, take today as an example,' Daisuke continued, ignoring his friend's glare. 'Don't you see the way she blushed when you helped her move the boxes around? Or how everyone else was trying to put you two to work together whenever possible? Or the way she kept stealing glances at you with those longing eyes that said, "oh Takeru-sama, please hold me in your arms"?'

Ken fumbled about in his shoulder bag for the novel he had been reading. He pulled out a copy of Oscar Wilde's _The Importance of Being Earnest_. He flipped to the page he left off and began reading, making his best impression that he did not know these two and just happened to be sitting on the same table as they were.

'Keep your voice down, Motomiya,' Takeru warned as some people nearby were sending them curious glances, especially when Daisuke raised his voice to make his best girly-voice impression and wrapped his own arms around his body. They were still wearing their school uniform, after all, and he was annoyed by his friend's officious attempt. 'There is _nothing_ going on between me and Hikari-san.'

'That's not my question!' Daisuke exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. 'Why are you avoiding my question?'

'Because…' Takeru wanted to rebuke his friend, but found himself stuck on words. He turned to the blue-haired boy. 'Ken, help me out on this.'

'_The truth is rarely pure and never simple,'_ the fourteen-year-old prodigy mused. (**)

'Exactly!' Takeru looked at Daisuke triumphantly, before turning back to his friend with his eyebrows twitched. 'Wait, what are you talking about?' Ken just shrugged and kept on reading.

'See, even Ken's on my side here!' Daisuke flashed a victory sign with his fingers and grinned. Takeru rolled his eyes and did not bother rebuking his logic. He sighed resignedly.

'You are not going to stop asking unless I answer, are you?'

'Now we're talking.' Daisuke grinned and folded his arms, looking at his blond friend expectantly. Takeru groaned.

It wasn't like he had not pondered on the same question before. He was a healthy fourteen-year-old boy, so naturally he would think about this stuff. His mother had also asked him before if he had anyone in mind, and being a friend of Mimi also meant he had to endure her endless lecture about girls and dating. Those questions did not help him in sorting out his feelings, though.

Did he like Hikari? The simple answer was yes, because she was a good friend. She was kind, considerate, and Takeru really liked that selfless personality of hers. Did he like her as more than a friend, though? That was the part that he wasn't sure about. True, he cared a lot about her, and he liked the time they spent together. But was that affection significant enough? He couldn't really tell. He had never dated anyone before, after all, and he did not really have good role models to look up to…

The table grew quiet. Even Daisuke stopped talking as he continued to wait for Takeru to open his mouth. The basketball team captain closed his eyes and engaged in his own deep thought.

There were several episodes that lingered in his mind. He could see Hikari sitting by his side in the park, showing him her words on the white sketchbook and encouraging him to look forward after losing the Regional Final; he could see Hikari sitting by his bedside, trying to play the guitar and pouted when her fingers landed on the wrong string. He could see the brown-haired girl's relieved expression when he reached for his hand and tried to pull her away from the stranger who indirectly insulted her; he could see Hikari patting the cat gently in the basketball team locker room, and subsequently her lunging forward to give him a reconciliation hug…

There were also other images that floated in his mind. He recalled her obsession with taking pictures whenever she went. He recalled her laughter when he and Daisuke engaged in another silly argument. He recalled her gentle smile when they parted ways, and the longing stares they sent each other, when they would just stand there and looked into each other's eyes…

The image that stood out, however, was back on her first day of school, when they were alone in the basketball court.

…_Hikari responded by tugging his sleeves, causing him to turn around to face her, and showing him the words she had just written on her sketchbook, with a small but sincere smile on her face._

'_I don't want to be just someone you will talk to, Takeru-kun._

'_I want to be your friend.'_

Takeru opened his eyes and blinked. He put his hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. He looked down at his hand, paying attention to how his veins spread on the back of his hand. Daisuke and Ken watched in amusement as they waited for him to answer.

'I don't know,' he finally muttered. Daisuke almost fell from his chair.

'What do you mean you don't know?'

'It's just…' the blond struggled to find the right word, '…does it matter, though? I like Hikari-san as a friend, and I like how we are right now, just good friends that can rely on each other. What's wrong with that?''

'Argh!' Daisuke let out a groan, pulling his hair in a frustrated manner. 'It's either "yes" or "no"! How is it so hard to answer? You obviously have a thing for her, Takeru! Just admit it!' Daisuke exclaimed and his blond friend had to hush him before they became the centre of attention again.

'You just want me to say yes! But I don't even know how I feel!'

'You don't know or you don't want to know, Takeru?'

Both boys turned to Ken who kept his eyes on his book. He casually flipped another page. 'Are you frightened by the prospect of what that entails?'

Daisuke was about to yell at his friend for speaking in an alien language, but then he stopped. He looked at Ken and he realized what Ken saw as the problem here. Really, he didn't think about that, and he thought of smacking his own head for being so insensitive.

Takeru just stayed quiet and stared at his friend. Of the three of them, Ken had always been the most observant, which Takeru did not really appreciate at this point.

'You're only fourteen, Takeru,' Ken spoke softly. 'Don't you think your worry is a bit immature?'

'What do you mean?' Takeru asked cautiously, his eyes not leaving the blue-haired boy.

'Let me rephrase the question this way,' Ken put down his book and turned to look at his friend in the eyes. 'Do you think you'll be married by the age of thirty?'

Takeru and Daisuke blinked. 'How is that relevant…'

'Just answer the question,' Ken stated sternly.

'I…guess so? Isn't that a normal thing to do at that age?'

'And where do you think your wife will come from?' He took a breath. 'Do you think if you just sit back, relax, and wait, some woman that you like, or do not dislike, will eventually come into your arms and propose to you, and you'll be together just like that?'

Takeru's breathing turned heavy, and his eyes tensed.

'I'm not saying you should like Hikari-san, or any girl, for that matter, as if you're going to marry her tomorrow. You're too young for that. However, if you decide to reject affection just because of the failed relationships around you, then I think it's an incredibly stupid thing to do.'

Takeru's eyes flickered. His expression darkened as Ken made his point. 'That's low, Ken,' he hissed in a deadly tone.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, then.'

Without speaking, Takeru slammed his fists on the table. He set his tray aside and stood up, picking up his shoulder bag in a swift motion. Without looking back, he walked away from the table where his friends were sitting at and left the restaurant. Some people were staring at the loud noise he made, and their eyes followed him as he walked away. They also looked at the two remaining figure from the same table, but the two boys shrugged off their stares.

Daisuke looked at the blond's departing figure and let out a defeated growl. He turned to look at Ken, who closed his eyes in a resigned manner. 'You don't have to go head-on with him, you know. You're even pushier than I am.'

'We both know what his problem is, and he needs to face it.' Ken stated without any hesitation in his voice. 'It's better for him to face it now before either of them gets hurt.'

'What makes you say that?' Daisuke looked at his friend quizzically.

Ken kept his eyes closed. Perhaps he should have talked to Takeru in a nicer tone. But would he? He doubted that. While he's usually a soft-spoken person, he knew it was a problem Takeru had to face, or he would get hurt in the long run. Moreover, Hikari would get hurt too if the blond remained irresolute to his feelings.

'_Hikari-san?'_

_A pair of redwood-coloured eyes met his gaze, and a tender smile greeted him. Ken took off his headphones as he walked towards the brown-haired girl, who was sitting on the bench by the seashore. It was the edge of the city where the Rainbow Bridge could be clearly seen. Many people were walking past them as Ken stood next to the girl, catching on his breath._

'_What are you doing here?' He asked. He didn't expect to see the girl here, a place rather far away from the city centre where they lived._

_The girl responded by showing him what she had been doing for the past half an hour. She turned her sketchbook to him, and he saw an outline of the view in front of them. There was part of the Rainbow Bridge on the right hand side of the paper, and he also spotted several skyscrapers across the sea. Ken had learnt of the girl's interest in drawing before, so he wasn't surprised that she was sketching one of the nicest views of Odaiba. _

_Hikari looked at Ken's appearance. He was sweating and panting, his hands resting on his knees to catch some breath. She made some hand gestures in the air, and Ken could figure out 'running', 'many times', and 'you' in her motions. Over the months Hikari had taught them basic sign language, so he assumed she was asking if he jogged here a lot._

'_Only after knowing that the football team will be playing in the Nationals,' he wiped his forehead and put his mp3 player in the pocket of his shorts. 'I just want to keep my stamina in good shape so I'll be ready by August.'_

_Hikari nodded and gestured for him to take a seat next to her. Ken sat down and pulled out his bottle of water, pouring the content into his mouth and squeezing some on his legs to cool himself down. It wasn't a particularly hot day, but he had been running for a while already. _

_Ken suddenly realized how awkward the situation was, after a few minutes of silence had passed. In fact, when he came to think about it, this was the first time that he and Hikari were alone. In the past either Takeru or Daisuke would be around, and his friends were much better at making conversations than he was. Hikari was looking at him, as if sensing he wanted to say something. He sighed._

'_Are you here by yourself?' Okay, that was lame, he thought. But then, it was better than nothing._

_Hikari shook her head and flipped over her sketchbook to a blank page, and began writing on it with her pencil. _'My mother has an appointment with a hairdresser nearby, and I want to try sketching the seashore, since I haven't done so before.'

'_Ah, I see,' Ken commented. He went on to make small talk with the girl, who listened to him intently. Ken was grateful that at least the atmosphere did not feel as stiff as before. He was never the talkative type, but talking with Hikari, even though he was the only one doing the talking part, technically speaking, made him feel comfortable. _

_He eyed the brown-haired girl who was writing a response on her sketchbook, and wondered if that was why his friend was attracted to her, recalling Mimi's declaration about Takeru's 'secret' affection for her. She made people feel easy and relaxed. Her tender gaze always seemed to let one drop one's guard and open up, for there was no a single trace of distaste or annoyance in her eyes. Ken always considered himself a very private person, and Takeru was the same, if not more. However, they both seemed to find spending time with Hikari comforting. It was like she could just brush off the awkwardness with a tender flick of her eyes and an affable smile on her face. _

'_I still don't want to wear the butler outfit though,' the blue-haired boy sighed. They were talking about the upcoming School Festival, and the person-in-charge of the costumes would bring them on the day after tomorrow for the class to try on. Ken was conscious of the reputation that he had in school, and he was weary of what the girls, namely his fans, would do when they saw him in that outfit. Hikari just giggled._

'I'm sure you'll look good in that,'_ she wrote, and Ken narrowed his eyes. He knew that Hikari was aware of why he didn't look forward to it, and his classmate beamed in return with a sly grin._

'_I'm sure you look forward to seeing Takeru in that outfit too,' he rebuked in a well-mannered fashion, and he knew he had succeeded when Hikari's cheeks turned a shade of pink. _

'Why did you say that?'_ Hikari frantically shook her head and wrote on her sketchbook, and Ken did not fail to notice how shaky her hand was. Ken smirked triumphantly, knowing that he had hit the right spot. He recalled Mimi's ebullient comment about his two friends, and the image of the brown-haired girl and the blond sitting side by side in Takeru's bedroom and in the basketball court resurfaced in his mind again. He was about to tease her more when they were interrupted by a surprised tone._

'_Hikari-chan?'_

_They both looked up at the voice who called Hikari. Ken saw a middle-aged woman with short brown hair standing in front of them, her left hand holding a handbag. Her appearance looked strikingly similar to the girl sitting next to him right now, especially the same pair of redwood-coloured eyes that she had, as if an adult Yagami Hikari was standing right there. The woman was looking at them with raised eyebrows, to which Ken blinked in confusion._

'_This is my mother, Yagami Yuuko,' Hikari wrote on her sketchbook and motioned for Ken to read it._

_Upon realizing who he was facing, Ken rose from his seat and bowed politely. 'Please to meet you, Yuuko-san. I'm Ichijouji Ken, Hikari-san's classmate.'_

_The woman stared at the blue-haired boy, and she failed to hide an acerbic smile as Hikari still had a flushed expression on her face. She looked at her daughter then at Ken again._

'_I hope I'm not interrupting something here,' she smirked, and Ken suddenly realized why she was acting like that._

'_Eh, Yuuko-san, I think you are misunderstanding something here…'_

'_Don't be shy, Ken-kun,' Yuuko beamed as Ken turned slightly pale in nervousness. 'Hikari-chan doesn't always tell me everything, so I'm curious as to how her social life is like at school.' She placed emphasis on the words 'social life', and even Hikari now caught on to what her mother was suggesting. She blushed even harder, waving her hands in protest while Yuuko just kept on giggling. That left Hikari no choice but to drag her away while nodding apologetically to her friend, who looked very embarrassed by the exchange. _

Recalling the brief exchange he had with Hikari two days ago, Ken was certain Hikari had feelings for Takeru. He also knew Takeru had feelings for their female friend as well, despite his uncertainty. The only problem was whether Takeru was willing to admit how he truly felt.

'Is this about Osamu, Ken?'

Even though he knew his friend meant well, Ken couldn't help but let his eyebrows twitch at the soft mention of that name. He bit his lips and ignored Daisuke's concern expression. He stared at the whirling fan on the ceiling instead. For a moment the two boys did not speak. Daisuke was patiently waiting for a response while Ken let his hushed query linger in his mind.

'I hope the School Festival will go well,' Ken mused, loosening his muscles as he rested the back of his neck on the top of the seat. It wasn't the first time he and Takeru had an argument, so he wasn't too worried about that aspect. He just hoped Takeru would realize that this was something he had to face sooner or later, and it would be best for him to overcome that obstacle now, before he regretted letting the chance slip away from his own hand later.

* * *

_End of Chapter 9_

* * *

* 'Haraguro' refers to the kind of person who smiles a lot and is adored by many, but his/her real personality is actually very cruel, mean and calculating. It's kind of like smiling while implicitly making harsh/sarcastic comments. Think of Koizumi from _The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi_ , Aragaki Ayase from _My Little Sister Can't be This Cute, _or Yagami Raito from _Death Note_. I am not sure if there's an English translation for this word, but it's quite common in ACG world.

** This is a direct quote from the Oscar Wilde's book that Ken was reading.

* * *

Figuring that I have at least a dozen more chapters to go, I decide to throw in more fun side-factors along the main storyline. A special thanks to the wonderful _the alpha phoenix_ for giving me the idea of bringing Osamu into the story, despite the fact that I'm using him in a different way, since I've completely forgotten about him when I first started this. He will be brought up again sometime soon.

I haven't forgotten about Saki and her gang (those who bullied Hikari in chapter 4 and 5), who were in the same class as the main characters. The thing with functions like School Festival is that they generally work in a voluntary system, so if you don't want to you can just skip the whole thing. They will be back in the future, as stated before.

Does anyone miss Taichi? Spoiler alert: he will be in next chapter! I'll also be working on the interlude chapter of Mimi and Takeru's past in Rome soon, and it will be posted after the School Festival arc.

Reviews are always appreciated! I'll update again by the end of the month, so please stay tuned!


	11. Chapter 10: Carpe Diem

Welcome to second part of the School Festival arc. Now we really get to see what happens on the big day, with lots of characters getting involved in many scenes that I have to split the day into two chapters.

Just a note of clarification, since I've been asked often: I generally use British English and not American English. I grew up in a former British colony, so it's more natural for me to use British terms and spellings, such as 'football' and 'colour', instead of 'soccer' and 'color'. Sometimes I incorporate American words too, since I've spent my college years in the United States. I apologize if that causes any confusion when reading my story.

A guest reviewer says the flow of the story is anime-like, and that is generally the kind of atmosphere I hope to build. While I'll try to be as realistic (for a lack of better word) as possible, some scenes will have a little dramatic effect just to keep up with this anime-like atmosphere.

And yea, I did plan for that unintended Kenkari moments in the previous chapter, and may have some more of it in the future (*evil smirk*). I'm glad everyone seems to like Sora's introduction. I had a hard time figuring out how to introduce her, and I had this idea of her designing the costume when I was doing laundry one day. Talk about random inspiration that comes from nowhere.

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 10: Carpe Diem_

* * *

Today was going to be a good day.

Hikari kept telling herself that as she brushed her teeth, tidied her hair, put on her favourite red hair clip, and changed into her school uniform. She went into the kitchen and made herself a toast, poured herself a cup of milk, and sat on the dining table to enjoy her simple breakfast. All the while, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

The calendar hanging on the wall marked today's date, 10th July, with a big red circle. In less than a couple of hours, she would get to experience her first ever School Festival, the day that she had been looking forward for months. Being a worker for her class' activity made it a plus. Although she wouldn't get to walk around the campus as much as she wanted to, she would be able to work with her classmates to make this a day to remember for the rest of their lives. Speaking of seishun! (*)

The time now was eight thirty, so she still had some time to spare before she had to leave her apartment. Her parents were still sleeping, and she had to close Taichi's door to prevent his snores from waking them up. They all promised to come in the afternoon to visit her, and she was really excited by that. She couldn't wait to show her parents that she was fully capable of attending school like a normal teenager did, and they could meet her friends too!

Thinking about her friends, however, brought a small frown on her face. Things had been rather awkward between her and Takeru these days. When she came into terms with her feeling three days ago, she didn't know it would have such an impact on their friendship. She found herself stealing glances at him more, and Takeru looked troubled whenever he was working with her, on Akemi's order. A lot of times he just stayed quiet and seemed eager to keep a distance from her. He also hardly interacted with Daisuke and Ken, and she wondered if there was something going on among the golden trio. However, she had been too busy helping out on preparation that she did not get a chance to ask them about it. She sighed. It wasn't like she could just ask anything at anytime she wanted. Her condition did not permit that.

_Don't think like that, Yagami Hikari_, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Today is the day you've been looking forward to for so long, and you cannot let your problem drag you down. You have to work hard so that when you look back at this time of your life you will have no regrets at all._

Slapping her cheeks lightly, she scrupulously checked her belongings. After making sure she got everything, she put on her black leather shoes and left her apartment. She let out a content sigh and put a smile on her face as she jumped into the elevator.

Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

'Everyone, gather up!' Akemi's cheerful yell brought everyone's attention and they all stood reverently in front of her. The class representative with long black hair looked satisfied at how punctual and prepared everyone was, as she cleared her throat and started briefing the whole class.

'First of all, thank you again for all the time and effort you have spent in preparing for this day,' she announced and politely bowed, to the applause of her classmates. 'I know that not everyone is happy with the idea of holding a butler café, or wearing a butler uniform,' she cast a long look at the golden trio, who turned their faces away amidst everyone's laughter, 'but here we are, only fifteen minutes before the School Festival officially begins. We've got everything settled already, and together, let's make this a day to remember for the rest of our lives.' She bowed again and everyone clapped their hands in appreciation.

'Now, here are everyone's schedules,' she held up a pile of paper in her hands. 'I know that you're all anxious to know who your partner will be, so now I'll announce their names in order. When you hear your name, come to get your schedule from me. The first pair: Fujimoto and Arai.'

A boy and a girl from the group emerged and took their schedules. They looked at each other and smiled.

'Next, Wanatabe and Motomiya.'

'Hai!' Daisuke jumped to the front and grinned at his partner vivaciously. 'Let's do this together, Ai-chan.'

'S–sure,' Wanatabe Ai stuttered and blushed, surprised that she got paired up with one of the most popular boys in the school. A few girls gave their shy friend supportive slaps on the back as she hesitantly took her schedule. Daisuke ignored that and walked with her to a corner to discuss how they should split their duty on serving the customers.

'Nanahara and Ichijouji.'

Ken composed himself and walked to the front, feeling glad that at least he was paired with someone he knew well. Nanahara Michiko was the girlfriend of one of his football team members, so he needed not worry about working with an obsessed fan girl of his.

'Let's work hard together, Ichijouji-kun,' Nanahara smiled and Ken did the same in return while giving Akemi an appreciative nod.

'Yagami and Takaishi.'

Some other girls squealed and congratulated Hikari quietly, while some looked dejected that the last of the golden trio was also taken. The brown-haired girl tried her best to suppress a blush from appearing on her face. Biting her lips, she walked to where Akemi was standing and took her schedule. Takeru, not noticing the exchange between his partner and the other girls, wondered why Akemi looked at him with the corners of her lips lifted in a mischievous manner. He swore he heard Akemi whisper 'have fun' to him when he took his sheet, but when he met her gaze the dark-haired girl merely winked at her and said nothing more.

Coughing to clear his throat, Takeru asked Hikari about how they should arrange their service. They agreed that he would be in-charge of explaining items on the menu, and she would be responsible for taking order and filling their customers' cups. It was the best arrangement they could come up with.

When they were done, they made sure the other looked presentable. Takeru's face reddened as he inspected Hikari's outfit. The green tie clung to her developing body neatly, and she looked adorably cute in that white shirt and black tail coat. Even without any make-up, her petite figure made her look more attractive than ever. She looked like some characters that he read from those gender-bender manga, and those types were usually the popular ones. Takeru noticed some other boys were stealing glances at his partner. He clenched his fists and sent them an admonished glare, feeling a sense of anger rising from his gut.

Hikari also blushed at Takeru's appearance. She was sure any girl would love to be in her position now, working with a very handsome blond in a butler outfit for the rest of the day. Takeru looked exceptionally sharp in the costume. With his natural blond hair and blue eyes, it was as if a character from a foreign TV show had come to life. He tucked in his white shirt in his black trousers and adjusted the knot of his tie clumsily. Since there was no mirror in the classroom (Akemi instructed a strict no-mirror rule, in case some guys would try to peek on the girls when they were unaware), he couldn't really tell if he looked alright on that. Hikari noticed his troubled state and helped him tidy his tie knot, bringing it up to his collar and fixed its position. Their fingers crossed in the process. Takeru raised his eyebrows and stared at their point of contact, and she quickly let go of her hands and looked away.

'Thanks,' Takeru whispered, his face glowing in fervour, and Hikari just nodded shyly in response. Both were troubled for relevant yet different reasons. In Hikari's case, she was bothered by her recent discovery of her feelings for him. Takeru, on the other hand, kept thinking about Ken's words from their dinner three days ago.

He wanted to think that Ken was wrong, that his friend was seeing things that weren't there. There was just absolutely nothing between them, and that he did not like her that way! But after spending two sleepless nights thinking about the situation, he came to the conclusion that his friend was actually right. His mind had been occupied by Ken's words for the past three days, and he knew he couldn't really reject them.

Yes, he figured that he likely cared for Hikari more than he thought he would, or should, for that matter. He smiled whenever she did, and he found her presence very comforting. He also was impressed by her kindness and optimism. She seemed to be able to brighten him up no matter what. It was a different feeling from when he interacted with other girls. It was different from how he felt about Mimi, who was like be his older sister, or Sora, whom he would always associate with Yamato, or even Miyako, whom Takeru saw as nothing more than a good friend. It also was nothing like his bond with Daisuke and Ken, as they did not occupy his mind like she did. With Hikari, things were much more complicated, yet much more soothing as well.

He had asked Mimi for advice, when she was on break from her work. Takeru could only hear her laughing very loudly over the phone for a whole minute before he decided to hang up. He did get a text message from her afterwards, saying that she was glad the hormones in him finally kicked in. He almost threw the phone at the wall.

In a way, he was relieved that Hikari, for whatever reason, seemed to have something in mind too, so she did not confront him about his weird behaviour. However, at the same time he couldn't help but feel mad that she _was _avoiding him. He didn't recall doing anything to trouble her, so he didn't understand why the girl was acting that way.

Takeru mentally groaned at his conflicting emotion. He didn't know what to do with it. It was so perplexing.

'It's time,' Akemi's enthusiastic voice shook them off their own thoughts. 'Let the show begin now!'

Hikari turned to look at the blond, finally, and gave him an encouraging smile. Takeru stared at her and offered a small smile as well. Whatever they were thinking beforehand, they knew they had a duty to fulfil. They had to set aside their problems and give their best today.

* * *

The classroom was soon filled by many visitors when the School Festival officially began, and everyone was busy serving customers before an hour had even passed. They were the only class that managed to stage a cosplay café, hence many people decided to stop by to check out the boys and girls. There were also couples and alumni who just wanted a place to sit down and enjoy some snacks.

'You two look soooo cute! I want a picture with you two now!'

Yamato smirked as Mimi put her arms around a startled Takeru and a meek-looking Hikari. The teen idol passed her camera to the older blond and he gladly obliged, noticing the uncomfortable expression on his brother's face. Mimi beamed enthusiastically and flashed a peace sign on her hands as she put her arms on the two junior high students' shoulders and pulled them closer to her. She smiled happily as Yamato took the picture.

'You really think others won't recognize you just because you put on a wig and a pair of glasses?' Takeru hissed as a now pink-haired, four-eyed Mimi inspected the picture. That outlook, along with her yellow t-shirt and green miniskirt, made her stand out of the crowd more. Sometimes the blond wondered if his friend was aware of the fact that she was famous among teenagers.

'Well, no one has come up to ask for my autograph yet, so nah,' she shrugged casually and took her seat. Takeru just rolled his eyes and Hikari giggled a bit.

'Excuse me,' a voice interrupted them and they all turned to face Senjougahara Akemi, who was glaring at them with an irksome expression. She had her hands on her hips in a bossy manner. 'We have rules that customers are not allowed to take pictures with the servers to avoid any trouble.' The long-haired girl pointed at a sign on the wall, and then turned to face her fellow classmates. 'I thought I told you guys explicitly not to allow a customer do that, especially you, Takeru-kun.'

Takeru gulped nervously. Akemi had specifically lectured the golden trio about that rule, since many girls would want to take pictures with them. The blond was aware of that when Mimi asked for a picture, but he also knew that if Mimi wanted to do something, there was virtually no way of stopping her. Plus, he couldn't really say no to the sixteen-year-old. He was about to explain the situation when his brother beat him to that.

'We're really sorry since we didn't notice that.' Yamato hid a smirk when Akemi looked stunned to see him. It worked, he thought. 'Please don't blame them on this as this is all my fault, for I am the one taking the picture.' He raised a finger, silently telling Mimi not to speak. 'Would you be so kind to just let this pass? I promise we won't do it again.'

Takeru made a dirty face at his brother. He knew what Yamato was trying to do. He was using his 'Ishida charm', as Yamato proudly called it, to ease the girl's frustration. The older blond looked at Akemi with his best puppy eyes and an electric smile, and winked at her by the end of his sentence.

To Takeru's surprise, Akemi's cheeks turned slightly pink before she put her fist in front of her mouth, coughed, and turned away. 'I won't ask you to delete that photo, but please refrain from doing so again, as that will deeply trouble us.' Takeru could not believe his eyes when the girl that he was somewhat scared of walked away just like that.

'And that, Takeru,' Yamato grinned, 'is how you charm the ladies.'

'Oh please,' Mimi sneered at the blond's arrogant remark. 'That trick will only work on innocent junior high girls or your fans.'

'What a happy coincidence that she happens to be both,' Yamato made a face.

Takeru's jaws dropped on the ground when he heard Yamato's words. 'What?' He almost yelled.

'It's true. I've seen her a few times in my gigs. She's always on the front row,' Yamato explained as if that was the most obvious thing on earth.

'But…but…' but she was not into boys! Takeru almost screamed that out loud, but the rational side of him reminded him that he did not want to suffer a painful death yet. He decided to give up thinking about that. Akemi was too mysterious of a person that he could never figure out fully.

'Ah, whatever,' Takeru sighed and scratched his hair. At least he knew he had some blackmailing material for Akemi later on, if she ever threatened him again. 'So, have you decided on what to order yet?' He asked the two.

'I'll take the chocolate fondue,' Mimi spoke with fervour. Knowing how much the girl liked dessert, Takeru was not surprised.

'Just a cup of cappuccino will be fine,' Yamato yawned a bit. 'I'm not used to getting up so early. Some girl just has to call and wake me up at nine o'cl– OUCH!' Hikari was writing down their order on her notepad, and she jumped in surprise when Yamato hastily jolted with a groan. Takeru raised his eyebrows, seeing the pout on Mimi's face.

'Someone should learn to treat the lady better then. It's just eleven in the morning now, and I have an event to attend in the afternoon. Do you know how hard it is for me to get a morning off, just to come here to see how lovely and adorable Takeru-chan and Hikari-chan look in their butler costumes?'

Hikari blushed a bit at Mimi's directness while Takeru just pretended he did not hear that. If possible he wanted to pretend he did not know her at all. Yamato just rolled his eyes and murmured something in a low voice, earning himself another kick under the table from the 'pink-haired' girl.

'Let's go get their orders,' Takeru said to Hikari and she nodded, looking at the two on the table with an amused expression as they kept arguing over the matter.

* * *

'How is everything?' Takeru asked. His brother gave him a thumbs-up and Mimi beamed.

'The chocolate fondue is really good! I like that a lot. Plus I got two cute butlers to serve me that!'

Hikari giggled. She was starting to get used to Mimi's ebullient nature. Takeru took the plates from them. 'And that would be eight hundred and sixty yens in total.'

Yamato took out his wallet and passed Hikari the amount. 'Thank you very much for coming,' Takeru and Hikari, out of habit for the day, bowed together as Yamato and Mimi were leaving. The two older teenagers laughed, and Yamato turned to face his younger brother.

'Oh Takeru, when will you be off?'

'In an hour and a half,' Takeru glanced at the clock that showed eleven thirty. 'What's wrong?'

'Just wanna have a chat with you before I go. How about you meet me at the basketball court when you're off then?' Yamato asked.

'Sure,' the younger blond replied hesitantly, not really sure what Yamato wanted to ask. Mimi's suspicious smirk only served to arouse his confusion.

'See you later, Takeru-chan, Hikari-chan!' Mimi yelled as they left the classroom, and once they were outside Mimi turned to Yamato with a serious expression. 'Did you notice there's something going on between the two of them?'

'That's what I'm going to talk to him about,' Yamato replied. He also noted that Takeru had been acting weird at times. Plus, Ken and Daisuke had told him about their little argument with Takeru three days ago. He decided not to tell Mimi about that, though, as he reckoned it would be better for him to confront Takeru about that.

As they were walking away from the classroom, a brown-haired brunet was making his way to the same place from another direction. He did not notice the familiar blond hair that he knew too well a few feet in front of him, as he took a turn and entered the butler café.

'Welcome to Class 3-A's butler café…Taichi-senpai!'

Yagami Taichi blinked and waved at Ken, who was working at the reception now. He chatted with Ken a bit, complimented on his outfit and was taken to an empty table. 'I'll get Hikari-san as your server. Just give me a second.' Taichi thanked Ken as the boy walked towards the back of the classroom that was separated from the sitting area by a large signboard. Taichi could only assume that the kitchen was behind the board.

Soon, another brown-haired figure emerged from signboard, and she smiled warmly at the sight of his presence. A blond was walking behind her.

'Good afternoon, Taichi-san,' Takeru greeted him as Hikari gave her brother an affectionate hug.

'Hey there, Takeru-kun,' Taichi said as Hikari gave him the menu. He looked at his sister in butler outfit, and thought that Sora really did a good job on this. 'You looked really nice, lil sis,' Taichi gave her a thumbs-up, and Hikari beamed, glad to receive her brother's compliment. Yet then, the older Yagami noticed that several guys in the room were staring at his sister with ogling eyes. While a part of his brain told him it was normal for those hormones-driven teenage boys to admire his pretty sister, another voice in his head told him that it was unforgivable for them to look at her with such lustful glances.

He was about to stand up and say something when Takeru moved from Hikari's right hand side to her left, his body shielding her back and hence purposefully blocking the view of those boys. Taichi saw those boys let out a dissatisfied groan, and he looked at Takeru in amusement.

'It happened a few times already today,' he muttered under his breath with clear venom in his tone. He stopped, though, when he noticed Taichi looking at him oddly. 'Ah sorry, I was just talking to myself,' he made a nervous laugh and went on to explain what they had in store.

Hikari pretended that she was not aware of the whole exchange taking place, but she was doing her best to hide her burning cheeks and keep her happy smile out of sight with the spare menu she was holding. She had noticed that many boys were looking at her rather unpleasantly, and it had been bothering her ever since. Yet, every time Takeru would casually walk in between her and the boys, not giving them any room to look further. Hearing Takeru's gritted tone made her mentally jump in happiness. _He cares!_ Hikari thought. _He notices!_ And that always managed to bring a tiny smile on her face.

'How about you sit down and accompany Taichi-san, Hikari-san?' Takeru offered, seeing that Taichi was alone and figuring that they would want to spend some time together. Hikari frowned and cast a quick glance at Akemi. She knew that they were not supposed to act too close to customers, even if they were family members. Takeru saw her worried countenance and gently pushed her to the empty chair opposite to Taichi's seat. 'I'll explain to Akemi about it, so don't worry about that,' he smiled at both her and Taichi before leaving the two Yagamis at the table.

'So, it seems like you got yourself a prince charming, huh?' Taichi teased. He only meant to poke a little fun at his sister, but when Hikari avoided his gaze, looked down at the table and did not look mad, he grew frantic. 'Wait, for real?' he wondered out loud, his eyes widened and his shoulders tensed visibly. He leaned forward to look at his sister with an intense gaze. His eyes were filled with pure horror, with different scenarios playing in his mind. _Does my sister like this little Ishida…Takaishi…whatever his last name is, brat? _He screamed to himself, waiting for Hikari to respond.

Hikari tried to dismiss his words as casually as she could. '_You're thinking too much, onii-chan_,' she signed. '_Takeru-kun is just being a friend.'_ While she loved Taichi dearly, she knew he could be overly protective of her at times, and she did not really want to share this part of her life with him right now. She was not prepared for that yet.

Taichi sank into his seat and let out a long sigh of relief. He trusted that Hikari would not lie to him. Hikari was too young to show interest in the opposite sex anyway, especially when that person might be _that_ Ishida Yamato's brother, he thought. While so far Takeru had left a good impression in his mind, he refused to see him as a potential boyfriend for his precious little sister. In fact, no one was. Hikari was only fourteen! It should take some time before she started to think about dating.

'_Where's Jyou-san?'_ Hikari asked and mouthed Jyou's name. Since Sora was busy today and could not come, Taichi had asked Jyou to tag along to keep him company. Their parents were coming in the afternoon, after they finished meeting an old friend over lunch. Taichi was asked to go too, but he would much prefer walking around the school that he once attended and reminisced the good old times.

'He's busy at old man Kido's clinic, as usual,' Taichi went on to complain about his friend who ditched him, and Hikari laughed at how her older brother exaggerated everything her 'other brother' did. 'Seriously, I get that he wants to be a doctor, but I think he's too obsessed with trying to know everything. No wonder he and Koushiro get along so well…'

* * *

'Onii-san!'

Yamato was leaning on the door to the basketball court when Takeru approached him. The younger blond had changed into his school uniform as he did not want to attract too much attention by walking around the campus in his butler costume.

'Let's walk this way,' Yamato offered and they walked around various stalls. Some were selling food and some had mini-games for people to enjoy with. On a glance there were people of different age groups here. While most of them were students of the school, there were also some adults walking around and some children chasing after each other. All were wearing bright smiles on their faces.

'How's dad?' Takeru asked. He had not seen his father in a while already.

'Fine as usual. Always working. You know how he is,' was the stolid reply his brother gave him. Ishida Hiroaki worked in a TV station as a producer, and he always led his team to travel around Japan to assemble necessary information for different shows the TV station planned on making. Both Yamato and Takeru reckoned it was just an excuse to get away from the city so he could avoid the possibility of meeting their mother.

'I see,' Takeru said with a small frown. He wasn't particularly close to his father, but he did want to see him more. He had tried to set up some 'family gathering' since he and Natsuko returned to Japan, but he had never succeeded. Both adults always came up with different reasons to avoid such meeting, even when Takeru was being very discreet about the whole thing. They just somehow seemed to know what their younger son was planning.

'Daisuke called me yesterday.'

Takeru's heart stopped a beat and his eyebrows twitched. 'Oh?' He merely said.

'He was worried about you.' Yamato stopped at a stall that was holding a shooting game. He asked for the toy gun and loaded it with plastic bullets. He aimed at the plastic cans he was supposed to be shooting and pulled the trigger, hitting it right in the body.

'There's nothing to be worried about,' Takeru grunted, putting his hands in the pocket of his trousers and turning his face away. He was not an irascible person, but he didn't like the idea of everyone trying to force their ways into his personal life.

'I believe he has good reasons to be,' Yamato said when he hit another can. He had to hit five in a row to win the prize. 'You and Ken are not talking to each other.'

'We were working. There's no chance to talk.'

'You know what I'm talking about,' Yamato answered and took his aim. Takeru lowered his head and remained silent.

'I only have a vague idea of what this was about as, you know, Daisuke always exaggerates everything,' the older blond loaded his gun and prepared for the last shot, 'but I think Ken is right about your problem.'

'When is he not?' Takeru added acerbically upon the mention of his omniscient friend. Yamato raised his eyes slightly at his brother's tone, but ignored it temporarily as he made his final shot. It hit the remaining can, and he won himself a small white bear doll. The student in-charge looked amazed by his effortless victory, but Yamato only managed a scowl when he knew the prize was a doll. Sighing, he grabbed it and started walking.

'So what's the deal?'

'What do you mean?'

'Your true feelings,' Yamato pointed out. 'Do you like Hikari or not?'

Takeru's expression darkened. While he treasured spending time with his older brother, he did not want to have this conversation with him.

'Is it because of dad and mom?' Yamato asked with a pained voice, almost a whisper. 'Is it because of what happened between me and Sora before?'

Takeru bit his lips and swallowed hard. He wanted to get out of here right now. He did not want to think about these matters. They only brought him unpleasant memories. He could still remember his parents swearing and yelling at each other when a four-year-old him hid under the blanket in his room, with Yamato trying his best to comfort him. He still remembered the grief on his brother's face when he and Sora broke up. He desperately wanted to rid those images off his mind, but no matter how hard he tried, he never succeeded. They kept coming back, reminding him what a failure his family was when it came to love and affection.

Yamato sighed, knowing that he had hit the spot. He knew that the failed marriage between their parents affected his brother dearly, and he also knew his breakup with Sora did not help in this matter. Takeru had always looked up to him, and when he failed in his own relationship it was almost like declaring his last resort was gone.

The two brothers remained silent as they walked through different stalls. Some people gawked at them, for it was quite a sight to see two foreign-looking teenagers walking side by side. Many girls stared at them and drooled, especially some of Takeru's fans or some who recognized Yamato as the lead vocalist of the Teenage Wolves. Some also commented on the cute doll in Yamato's arm, and said boy ignored their glances.

'Remember that foreign film that you made me watch when I slept at your place last year?' Yamato suddenly asked. 'The one about an English teacher and some students studying poetry in a very old-fashioned school?'

Takeru was startled by the change of topic, and he tried to recall the title of the film. 'Dead Poet Society?'

'Yea, that one. I never like it that much since I'm not into poetry or literature like you are,' Yamato ignored Takeru's curious gaze and went on, 'but I do remember one scene where the teacher talks to the students and whispers something in Latin into their ears.'

Something in Latin? Takeru liked the movie when he watched it with Yamato on TV, but he couldn't really remember the scene at once.

'_Carpe Diem_,' Yamato recited melodically, and Takeru's eyes glistered in recognition. 'I don't remember anything else from the movie but that phrase.' He took a breath before continuing. 'Our family doesn't have the best record in relationship, myself included,' Yamato raised his hand to stop his brother from protesting – he knew Takeru would rebuke his statement even when he knew it was true, 'but if I indulge myself in my past regrets, then I can never move forward. I'm still young. I'm just eighteen. Our parents' divorce doesn't mean that I can never like anyone else, or not try to like anyone.'

Takeru blinked his eyes as Yamato's words sank in. When had he heard similar things before?'

'Yes, my relationship with Sora failed, but it was a mutual agreement. We just don't have time for each other due to our commitments, and we realize we don't like each other that much,' Yamato stopped and looked into his brother's fuzzy eyes, 'but that doesn't mean we'll be forever unhappy and lonely. She has a new boyfriend now, and I have also dated some other girls. They don't always work out well, but the point is to let yourself try, and hope that you won't regret later for doing nothing when you have the chance to do the right thing.'

'_You cannot change the past, Takeru-kun…You can only live with the consequence of it…'_

Takeru suddenly knew why Yamato's words sounded so similar to his ears. Hikari had told him the same thing before. Whatever he tried to think about, it seemed he could not get his mind off the brown-haired girl with those bright, mesmerizing redwood-coloured eyes.

And oddly, he did not seem to mind at all.

'How do you know she's the one, though?' Takeru spoke finally, after immersing himself in his own thoughts. 'How do you know if things will work out fine? How do you know it's not doomed to failure?'

'When I go on shows with my band, I never know if I'll make a mistake or two, or even more. I don't know if I'll get my solo right, even if I've practised over and over again,' Yamato put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, causing him to look him in the eyes, 'but the song won't come by itself. No playing, no song. You have to take risk in order to succeed.'

'Like basketball,' Takeru whispered, more to himself than to his brother.

'Like basketball,' Yamato replied firmly. He avoided using basketball as an example as he thought it was still a sensitive topic, but the young blond brought up the topic himself, so Yamato took it as he had overcome it already.

The two turned a corner and now they were near the staircase to the second floor. Yamato decided he had had enough, and made up his mind to leave. He had to meet up with his bandmates for their weekly practice.

'I won't make you answer if you really like Hikari or not. That choice is up to you to make.' Yamato shoved the bear doll into his younger brother's arms. 'Carpe Diem, lil bro. Seize the day. Just remember that.'

With that Yamato left the campus, leaving behind a perplexed Takeru standing there, holding the white bear doll that his older brother had won. Yamato's felicitous remark echoed in his mind. He stared at the doll for a minute, sighed, and took the stairs.

* * *

_End of Chapter 10_

* * *

* 'Seishun' is a term that roughly translates as youth/adolescence, but conveys a deeper and more passionate meaning. It holds the meaning of not just happiness and playfulness, but also contains a sense of 'being young is nice' and no regrets when looking back at one's youth. It is a common term used in Japanese or Asian language, and I find it more suitable in this scenario than 'youth' or 'adolescence'.

* * *

Sadly, Koushiro will just be briefly mentioned like that in this chapter, and won't make his appearance until some chapters later.

After revising the outline for the next ten chapters, this story might end with…more than thirty chapters. I'm writing a lot more than I expected as new ideas keep floating into my head. To think that I originally planned for this to be a fifteen-chapter story, I'm actually quite amazed by the progress.

Next chapter will be the conclusion of the School Festival arc. Please stay tuned for that! Reviews are deeply appreciated!


	12. Chapter 11: Good Will Hunting

On the author's note of the first chapter, I mentioned that this story was partly inspired by a one-shot manga about a deaf elementary school girl. I finally come across its English translation. It is called _'Koe no Katachi'_ (The Shape of Voice). Everyone should check it out. It's a great one-shot manga and it is now being serialized in Weekly Shounen.

Meanwhile, I have published a one-shot to celebrate the Odaiba Memorial Day. It's called_ 'A Drunken Tale'_ and it's about the couple Takeru and Hikari in their early twenties. It is a mixture of a conversation with the girls about Hikari's virginity, the girls overhearing the boys 'complaining' about Takeru's virginity, and a drunken Takeru at night with Hikari in the same apartment. It's a humour/romance semi-crack fic with description of attempted sexual act, so please check it out too!

The chapter title is obviously taken from the movie of the same name. I've been listening to Elliott Smith a lot lately, and I think the pun of the movie title fits into the mood of 'Carpe Diem' as well. This is also the longest chapter so far, so please bear with me!

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 11: Good Will Hunting_

* * *

Today was definitely a good day.

Hikari clasped her hands together as she happily skipped to her classroom, humming a joyful tune to herself. Her two-hour break was over, and she just needed to get back to her classroom and change into her costume so she could start working again. She really enjoyed helping her classmates out, and even though there were times of awkwardness when some customers asked her questions, Takeru or others would always come to her rescue. She felt so blessed to have met such great friends, and she carried a big smile on her face on her way back.

Her parents stopped by, an hour ago, and she showed them around the school, bringing them to different stalls and classroom exhibitions, and they had lunch together in the cafeteria. Even though they knew the school pretty well already, as Taichi had spent three years studying here, they were pleased by how much their daughter loved the environment. They had been worried about enrolling her here, weary of the chance of her being bullied and discriminated against, but the bright and blissful smile on Hikari's face was enough to assure them that they had made the right choice.

The only awkward part was when Yuuko asked if 'the Ichijouji boy' was here. Taichi gawked at her oddly and their father had no idea what they were talking about. Ken was on his break when her parents came, so Hikari was relieved they did not run into each other. She knew her mother thought they were somehow involved, despite her firm denial that they were just good friends. She saw Taichi open his mouth but he didn't say anything. Given his reaction before when Takeru was brought up in their discussion, she wondered if she had to explain to him tonight that she was by no means a seductress at school.

She got her outfit from her classroom and went to a bathroom nearby to change. When she got back, Takeru had also just arrived. He looked at her for a moment and gave her a small smile, to which Hikari reciprocated. She noted that the blond looked happier than he did in the morning. Maybe it was due to the conversation that he shared with Yamato? She vaguely recalled the older blond asking to meet him during their break, but when Akemi called for them to serve another table of customers she dismissed that thought. Now she had to concentrate on her work.

* * *

'And why are you serving me? I thought I asked for Hikari-chan to be my server,' Miyako snapped and twitched her eyebrows at Daisuke, who folded his arms and looked away.

'Get a new pair of glasses. She is busy with other customers who are much nicer and more polite than you are,' Daisuke snorted, pointing his thumb at Hikari and Takeru who were taking the order of a pair of couple several tables away.

'Motomiya-kun, that's not a nice thing to say…' Wanatabe Ai timidly added, nervous about the tension between her partner and her customer. She smiled apologetically at the lavender-haired girl and the dark-haired boy sitting on the table. 'Here are the menus for the day, and our morning special is the cake listed here,' the blue-haired girl said as she passed them the menus.

'And that is how a professional works,' Miyako beamed at the girl before sending dagger at the mahogany-haired boy, 'unlike someone who obviously has no idea how to serve customers properly.'

Iori just ignored their exchange. By now he was too used to the two of them arguing that he did not bother caring anymore. He decided to order first as he felt bad for the waitress, who looked like she was about to cry amidst Miyako and Daisuke's insult contest. He pointed at a croissant on the menu as she asked him what he wanted. Miyako finally stopped arguing and ordered as well, and Daisuke left their table with a delighted grin. Iori just rolled his eyes while Miyako kept babbling on how impossible the boy was.

He looked around the room and found Ken talking to four female customers in the corner of the room. He looked very charming in that outfit, Iori reckoned, and the four girls were clearly drooling over him. The blue-haired boy ran his fingers through his hair nervously when one girl brightened and asked something agitatedly, seemingly something about his phone number. Even though he turned them down, the gentle and alluring smile never dropped from his face. Now Iori understood why Miyako and Hikari said the football team vice-captain was one of the most sought-after boys in the school.

The dark-haired boy turned his head to see how his mute friend was doing. He was worried about Hikari as random customers were not aware of her inability to speak, but she looked fine so far. She was refilling other customers' water and she always smiled sweetly when the customers thanked her. If someone asked her a question, Takeru or another server would come to her assistance, and the frown on her face would be replaced by a soft smile. Iori concluded that she would be fine.

A second later he thought he had jumped to the wrong conclusion, when a customer grabbed Hikari's wrist, much to her surprise and dismay.

'C'mon, just say yes, Hikari-chan,' the customer looked at the name tag on Hikari's chest and licked his lips. He had a round face and a rather delinquent appearance. His t-shirt clung to his body to show off his muscular chest and arms. He was sitting with three other guys at the table, all of whom had similar body shapes and looked like they were senior high students. 'All we're asking for is your phone number and that you let us know when your shift is over, so we can hang out together and have some fun.'

Hikari gulped and tried to get out of his grip. The teenager had flirted with her when she was taking their order, but Takeru was there with her so they did not do anything bold. Now that the young blond was in the back of the room, helping out the kitchen team in food preparation, she wondered how she could get herself out of this without being too rude.

'C'mon, Hikari-chan, don't ignore us,' another boy added and eyed the brown-haired girl thoughtfully. Hikari scowled at the look in his eyes, or in all of their eyes, for that matter. That made her very uncomfortable. While Akemi had warned the girls before that some boys might harass them, she had not specifically said anything about how to resolve it peacefully. Her suggestion of throwing strong, solid punches and kicking them mercilessly in the nuts were clearly out of line.

Iori scrutinized the scene anxiously, and was about to stand up and walk towards them when he felt a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from rising from his seat. He looked up and found Daisuke shaking his head at him, his other hand making a gesture to hold back Miyako as well.

'Just watch,' he said, and Iori blinked in disbelief. What did he mean by 'just watch'? Miyako was about to protest, but a glance at the back of the room made her stop. Iori turned to where she was staring at, and his mouth formed a small 'o' shape.

'Now, now, playing the cool and hard-to-get type, are you?' The senior high student who was grabbing Hikari's wrist teased, his eyes still scanning the young girl's body blatantly. He was about to say something more when he felt a hand seize his arm.

The teenager raised his head to find his previous blond server staring at him with an unreadable expression. A moment later, the male butler gave him a charmingly bright smile that sent chills down his spine.

'I'm sorry, dear customers, but the rules clearly state that customers are not to harass our servers,' Takeru used his spare hand to point at a notice board on the wall that outlined the rules for customers to pay attention to, 'so please back off now.'

'Hey, kid, you picking a fight?' The other teenagers on the same table gave him a death glare, which he ignored totally. Takeru kept the cordial smile on his face.

'Please take your hand off my partner,' he took a glance below and he stated calmly. 'You are troubling her now.'

The senior high student rose from his seat and stared at Takeru, forgetting that he was still holding Hikari's hand. He was half a head taller than the blond, and he looked at him with his head raised, a mockery smirk creeping across his face. 'You got a problem, kid?' He let go of his grip on Hikari's hand and clutched Takeru's collar instead. The other three also stood and sneered at the junior high student, sending him intimidating looks. Other people in the room stopped whatever they were doing and watched the scene unfold with various expressions. Some looked thrilled at the prospect of a fight, while some looked worried and scared. Akemi, the person-in-charge of the café, thought of intervening before things turned ugly, but she was intrigued by the expression on Takeru's face, one that she had never seen before. So she just folded her arms and stood in alarm, and waited for the blond to react.

Hikari was greatly disturbed now. Although she was deeply bothered by the teenager's grip and discourteous glances, she was more worried about what they were going to do. She did not want them to cause a scene here, and she did not want Takeru to get into trouble because of her. If the Student Council found out about this, Takeru might get reported too. Plus, those four looked very intimidating, and she was scared they would hurt him, or at the very idea that he would get hurt because of her.

'Me? Problem?' Takeru laughed in a tone that sounded eerie to Hikari's ears. 'No, no, of course not,' he chuckled, much to the bewilderment of the teenagers, who didn't expect him to react in that way.

'You are the only problem here.'

He squeezed the boy's arm hard and twisted it slightly, his fingernails imprinting into his skin inch by inch. The senior highs student yelped and let go of his grip on Takeru's collar, but the blond was not finished yet. His rubbed his fingers against the teenager's skin and he gradually tightened his clutch. It wasn't the grip that caused the most pain to the senior high student, however, but his slow turning of his arm. Takeru was twisting his arm slowly in the opposite direction with an amused expression, looking as if he was actually enjoying the frightened look on his face. The teenager widened his eyes, unnerved, and was now trembling in fear. The other three wanted to help their friend, but one icy stare from the blond made them root to their spots. Finally, the butler decided it was enough and he released his grip.

It was not over yet, though. The humiliated teenager grunted and threw his fist at the blond. Hikari gasped, surprised by his action, but Takeru did not move from his position. He used one hand to push Hikari out of the way, and raised the other hand to catch his punch. Then, in a swift motion, he moved his hand forward on his arm grabbed it, flinging it to the teenager's back, pushing him down to a bowing position in the process like a person being handcuffed by a police officer in the back. The senior high student let out a cry of pain, and Takeru pushed his head down to the chair.

'Thank you for coming, honorary customers,' Takeru whispered into his ears with a radiant smile. 'We hope you have a nice day.'

With that, he released his grip and pushed the senior high student towards the door. The other three teenagers looked at each other quickly and frantically left, pulling their helpless friend with them. Everyone just watched in awe as they ran away from the classroom.

'Are you okay, Hikari-san?' Takeru turned to his partner, who was shocked by what had just happened. Her body was still shaking slightly as she tried to absorb all that had happened in front of her eyelids, a minute ago. His voice sounded normal now, just like the one she was used to hearing, as Hikari could only detect worry and concern in his tone. 'Did he hurt you?'

It took Hikari some time to recover, and she shook her head restlessly. Takeru frowned and took her hand, inspecting the part where the teenager had just grabbed her. There were no scars or signs of scratches, since the teenager did not hold her tightly, but Takeru still was not entertained.

However, he threw away his thought when people in the classroom began clapping. He blinked in surprise at first, but when he raised his head he realized it was Akemi who led the applause. Hesitantly, not knowing what the best reaction would be in such situation, he bowed his head, almost like he was expected to.

Akemi cheerfully asked everyone to stop clapping after a bit. 'Sorry for all the trouble, dear customers. Please keep enjoying your time here. Just let your butlers know if you need anything.' After making sure everyone was now back to their business, the long-haired girl walked towards the blond.

'I'm impressed, Ta-ke-ru-kun,' the class representative genuinely commented, though she playfully pronounced his name with a strong accent on each syllable. 'I'll admit, that will probably be the highlight of the day, or even the highlight of the school year, considering I've never seen you act like that before.'

Takeru seemed to have finally realized what he had done, for he instantly blushed and looked morose. 'I'm sorry, Akemi-san. I didn't mean to hurt a customer…'

'And let a punk hurt one of our cute and lovely butlers instead?' Akemi pinched his cheek with a sly grin and put an arm affectionately around Hikari's shoulders, 'or do you think I'm joking when I said the best way to deal with those low-life perverts is to kick them in the nuts?'

'I…' Takeru was speechless. He thought he would receive a lecture from the class representative for his imprudent act, but instead she was…praising him? Hikari looked equally surprised, although that was more due to Akemi's comment of violence being the best way to handle harassers.

'Now, how about you two both take a short break? Does fifteen minutes sound good?' Without waiting for their reply, she shoved them out of the classroom. 'Take some time to cool off, then come back and continue working. Okay?'

They didn't even get to reply when Akemi walked away, asking others to cover for them. Takeru looked at the interior of the classroom and saw Daisuke wink at him, giving him a thumbs-up. Miyako and Iori were sitting on the table in front of him with stunned expressions. Ken was looking at him from the back of the room with a concerned countenance. He locked eyes with the blond, and after a second of consideration Takeru nodded at him, to which the blue-haired boy responded with a small smile.

'So…shall we take a walk?' Takeru asked his partner, who looked just as perplexed by the situation. She gave a small nod, and the two began walking on the corridor, side by side.

Both felt incredibly awkward.

After what had just happened, Takeru did not know what to say to Hikari. The people walking by were staring at them oddly, for it was quite a sight to see a boy and a girl in butler uniforms walking together. That added on to the tense atmosphere surrounding them. Takeru knew he had to break the silence before it got any worse.

He was about to say something when Hikari stopped walking and turned to him. She bowed first, and then gestured her words to him. _'Thank you for what you did back there, Takeru-kun,'_ she signed. _'I really appreciate your help.'_

Takeru stared at her for a moment and then smiled. 'I should have paid more attention and intervened earlier, Hikari-san. I'm your partner, after all.'

Hearing that brought a smile and a frown simultaneously to Hikari's face, but she quickly shook off the negative feeling. She knew Takeru was taking his job seriously, as Akemi had asked him to help her out when necessary. Still, she thought it would be nice if he helped because he wanted to, not because he had to.

They slowly arrived at the end of the corridor. Hikari leaned on the bar and scrutinized the school she had grown to love. All the happy faces of the visitors brought a smile to her face and helped her get rid of any negative thoughts in her mind. She could see the central stage on the ground from here. Unlike other schools where all performances were held in the auditorium, their school had a tradition of placing a stage in the playground and had different performances in the open air. Right now the light music club was performing, and Hikari could hear them covering a song by the Teenage Wolves. She closed her eyes and moved her body along the rhythm, finding it soothing and relaxing at the moment.

Hearing the familiar melody made Takeru think of Yamato's words again. He looked at the young girl who was tapping the rhythm with her crossed legs, and he could understand why other boys stared at her lustfully. She looked remarkably adorable today, with the trimmed coat clinging to her developing breasts and the green tie that generated a sense of maturity and delicacy. Her slender waist and thin legs did not go unnoticed too. And who could resist that warm and charming smile of hers? No wonder boys would want to get close to her when she looked just like an angel. Not that she wasn't when she was just wearing the school uniform…

Takeru blinked. What was he thinking? He sounded just like the pervert who just flirted with her, and he did not want to be associated with any one of them. He slapped his cheeks and slammed his forehead against the wall, trying to get any dirty thought out of his mind. No, no, no. He could not think that way. Yagami Hikari was too pure and innocent for his dirty mind to lust after.

This drastic movement brought Hikari's attention as she turned and widened her eyes. Her partner had not said a word in some time, and now he was hitting the wall with his head? She looked worriedly at the blond, who just gave her a weak smile and told her nothing was wrong.

'Really, I'm okay,' Takeru waved his hands in front of her and gave a big grin to ensure that he was fine, seeing the sceptical look on her face. Hikari did not look convinced, but decided to let it go. Takeru let out a sigh of relief, and kept his focus on the girl.

Yamato's words still lingered on his mind. Even though the bassist had not pressed on his younger brother for a concrete answer, Takeru knew what he would have said if he had asked. It wasn't that hard to figure it out, after the self-denial and self-meditating process he had in the past days. He knew that ever since the moment Hikari told him she wanted to be his friend, and not just some passer-by in his life, he had been paying special attention to the mute girl.

'Our next performance will be a drama by class 2-C,' the MC announced on stage. 'Please just wait patiently for a couple of minutes for the stage to be set. Meanwhile, don't forget that we still have plenty of programmes for the rest of the day! Also, our annual school dance will take place here at six thirty. Remember that you should…'

'We should go, Hikari-san,' Takeru said. 'It's about time.'

Hikari wanted to stay a bit longer to watch the drama performance, but she reminded herself of her duty to help her class. She could not disappoint her classmates because of her own selfish needs! With that in mind, the brown-haired girl turned and followed Takeru's lead back to the classroom.

* * *

It was six thirty in the evening and the classroom of class 3-A was void of customers. The butler café had closed down after a day of hard work and the class had managed to make a profit and win praises from many. Akemi had thanked the class again for helping out, and they all now were at the ground floor to join in the traditional school dance. It was the last event of the day, and a huge campfire was being set up in the middle of the field. As tradition entailed, student would gather around the fire and dance in pairs. They didn't have to be couples to dance together, as everyone just wanted to have fun, although many did spend time choosing whom they would dance with.

Hikari was nowhere near the campfire, however. She was in her classroom, taking pictures of the remaining tables, chairs, used utensils, and the ornate decorations on the wall. When the dance was over everything would be taken down, and she wanted to capture what they had achieved today, so that all of them could look back at this day and smile fondly at this remarkable experience.

Her expression softened as she took each picture, remembering how hard they had worked to make this day a success. She really treasured this feeling of working together like a community. It was like a dream come true for her, as she had been looking forward to this day since she first set foot in the school building. She still couldn't really believe the day was over, just like that. Days of preparation work ended after nine hours of walking around in butler costumes. She played with her green tie and smiled, treasuring the last moment of wearing this outfit.

'There you are.'

She turned to the door to find Takeru standing there, his hands in his pocket. He, too, was still in his butler outfit. Even after a day's work he still looked very sharp and handsome in that costume, Hikari thought. Still, she was surprised to find him here. She thought everyone had gone to the campfire now, as it's almost time for the dance to start.

'I looked around and didn't see you, so I was wondering what you are up to,' Takeru grinned as he walked towards the girl, 'and I shouldn't be surprised that you want to take picture of everything.'

Hikari pouted at his comment. Takeru and Daisuke had always teased her about her obsession with taking pictures, and he only laughed more upon seeing her reaction. He was now standing by her side, leaning his shoulder on the wall as he looked out of the window to see what was happening on the field. Hundreds of students gathered around there, and the dance was about to start soon.

'I can't quite believe the day is over, even though I'm glad I don't have to wear this ridiculous costume anymore.' Despite his distasteful words, Hikari could tell there was a sense of lingering attachment in his tone, and she could only empathize. In less than a year they would be parting ways to go to their respective senior highs, and this was the last chance for them to truly work together as a group. When the curtain was dropped, the show was over, and they couldn't help but feel sentimental about it.

Still, what they really achieved in a function of this scale was not important; the fact that they did it together was what mattered. It was about the sweats they shed and the tears they shared. Even if they would be separated, they would still have this collective memory to share and to reminisce on. Hours of hard work earned them an experience of a lifetime. It was nine extraordinary hours that none of them could ever forget.

'Now, the dance is about to start!' the student council president yelled over the microphone, to the cheers of the students. 'Turn off the light of the building!'

Following her order, the student council members reached for the control panel and turned off all the lights of the classrooms and the corridors. The setting sun provided the sufficient illumination Takeru and Hikari needed to see their surroundings, and they watched from their classroom window to see the campfire being ignited. Pairs of students began to circle around the glowing spot.

'Go get your partner! And if you don't have one, just find one now. Boys, time to be brave and ask a girl to be your partner!' The president's cheerful remark was echoed by the more enthusiastic groups. Those without partners also reached out for each other as they positioned themselves, ready for the music to start at any minute.

Takeru took a glance at Hikari who was still taking pictures of the event. He knew that she wanted to capture every moment so that others would be able to relive those moments later. She was seizing the moment for others, and he wished she would be more selfish and think more about herself.

Although, that was one of the many reasons why he was so attracted to the girl.

'Do you want to dance?' Takeru carefully asked, and Hikari, without thinking much, responded quickly with a firm nod. She had mentioned to him before that she looked forward to this school tradition very much, and that she would love to take part in it. The fourteen-year-old pondered for a minute, then he made his decision.

'Carpe Diem,' Takeru murmured under his breath. Hikari, thinking that he was talking to her, turned to look at him. She was surprised by what happened next. Takeru took a step backward with his right leg, bending it in the process, while his left arm crossed his chest as he raised his right hand towards her. Hikari was staring at him like he was out of his mind, but she was considerably more shocked by what he said next.

'Would you take the dance, mademoiselle?'

Without another word, both knew this would not be just a simple dance. Hikari was at loss of what to think. While she had wanted to participate in the dance to enrich her school life experience, she did not imagine it would be with him, the blond that she lately reckoned she had feelings for. Besides, he was not asking for her to join him at the campfire. Instead, he was implying that they would dance here, alone in the classroom, away from everyone's attention. Her mahogany eyes bored into Takeru's ocean blue ones. She wanted to figure if he really meant it, that it was not just a prank, that he would not burst out laughing at how seriously she was considering his proposal.

Because if he was joking, she wasn't sure if she would be able to take it.

Truth to be told, Takeru was scared to death. He could feel his heart pounding really hard with each passing second, and also the cold sweats forming on his back when waiting for Hikari's reaction. Would she turn him down? Daisuke and Ken had said, or implied, that Hikari liked him too, so there should be no risk, right? But what if Hikari actually did not feel the same way? Takeru suddenly regretted letting Yamato's words affect him that much. All the while he had been only considering his feelings, but he didn't try to figure if she shared this affection. Now he felt incredibly stupid for asking in such an exaggerated manner. Did he just make a fool out of himself, in front of the girl he liked? Did he screw up not only his possible love life but his friendship with the girl with the same strike?

All his worries and hesitation were gone when he felt a petite hand landed on his palm. He raised his eyes to see Hikari turning her face away, her cheeks reflecting the colour of the setting sun. More significantly, she accepted his hand.

She accepted his hand! Unconsciously, a wide grin spread across his face, even though his face was also burning with fervour and restlessness. Gulping, he stood straight and took her hand in a dancing position. Hikari did the same, although she still did not make any eye contact with the boy. Takeru hesitantly put his left hand on her slim waist. It was the most intimate contact the two had ever shared. Hikari reciprocated the act with her right hand, and she thought she might faint at any second out of total excitement and absolute nervousness.

Minutes had passed and the music was being played, and now people in the ground were starting to move in circles with their partners. The girl was standing in front while the boy would hold her hands from the back. This way, everyone would be facing the same direction as they moved. Back in the 3-A classroom, though, the two were not sure how they should start, or when they should start, since they had already missed the opening beat, and that dancing with one's back facing the other would be pointless in this situation. The silence between them also grew awkward the longer they held each other. Takeru decided to take matters into his hand, and he shifted his body to his right to guide her into dancing. He also moved his right leg in the same direction, hoping that this would be enough of a movement to break the tension.

However, Hikari, too excited to take every step carefully, was too quick in following his movement. She tensely let Takeru pull her left hand and responded by moving her left leg too. What she miscalculated was that she stepped right on Takeru's foot.

'Ouch!' Takeru cried out of instinct, which made Hikari jump in surprised before she realized what a fool she had made out of herself. The brown-haired girl felt both embarrassed and worried at the same time. She quickly set her foot aside and nodded continuously to apologize. She looked at the blond who had a slightly agitated expression.

'_Are you okay?_' she mouthed. Takeru, however, did not respond but just stare at her. It was the first time the two made eye contact since they came into this dancing position. They kept looking at each other for a moment, before a snort escaped his mouth and he started laughing. Hikari also could not refrain herself from giggling at how silly they were right now. Really, what was she thinking?

'Shall we continue?' Takeru asked, and Hikari nodded. Their cheeks were still flushed crimson, but now the atmosphere was more relaxing. The laughter they shared also helped ease the situation as both looked more comfortable now. They were not really doing anything fancy, since neither was trained in dancing, and they just moved slowly in circles. However, they did not care if they did not have any creative movement, as they were more concerned about the person they were dancing with.

Hikari let the blond take the lead. Memories of the past few minutes became fuzzy with Takeru's hand on her waist, drawing her closer with each step they took. The classroom was quiet, save for the noise coming from the campfire. With each small step she made she found herself inching towards his body, and she did not mind the close contact at all. She carefully followed his steps and, having gathered the courage now, looked at the blond instead of at her own feet.

Takeru was also not paying any attention to his footwork but to the brown-haired girl with a pair of beautiful, vivacious redwood-coloured eyes. The dim, fading light of the setting sun made her look more radiant than ever. Her round eyes were looking at him with much curiosity, as if questioning why he was doing such a thing. He thought about saying something, but felt like he did not have to when they're moving like that. He could hear the cheers amidst the music coming from the campfire site, but he was not disturbed by it. Right now, he could only think about the girl in his arm, standing in front of him, looking at him with such tenderness in her eyes. Without fully realizing, he pulled her closer, and she did not resist. Their faces were now just inches apart, and both did not look away.

The music had ceased to play outside, and the students cheered and readied themselves for another dance. Takeru and Hikari just remained standing there as the music stopped, their eyes not moving away from another. Both were studying the other's facial feature carefully. Takeru dropped his hand from holding Hikari's. Instead, his hands moved their way to her face in slow motion, as if asking for her permission during the process. Seeing that she gave him an acquiescent nod, Takeru reached for her cheeks and gently moved his thumbs in circle, caressing her flushed cheeks gently. He didn't realize her skin was so soft before.

At the same time, he could feel her warm, unsteady breath on his neck, and that sent a shiver down his spine in excitement. He could feel his heart skip a beat when Hikari put her hands around his waist and pressed her body against his. He could feel the warmth of her developing body and he blushed furiously at the intimate contact. It was not like they had not hugged each other before, but both knew that this time, the nature of this contact was different. Hikari would have giggled at Takeru's troubled expression, had she not been as nervous as the blond was.

The students had started another dance outside, but the embracing teenagers did not care. All they had in their mind was the person holding them tenaciously right now. Gradually, Takeru moved his face forward. Hikari knew what was coming, and she gradually closed her eyes while her heart was pumping thunderously, waiting for the moment to come. Both teenagers were extremely nervous now as they got closer and closer to each other. After a prolonged period of eager delay and considerable hesitation, his lips finally found hers.

* * *

The sun had set for a long time when the two made their way towards Hikari's apartment. They were still blushing, although not as vigorously as they were some time ago, as they walked in silence, each trying to sort out their own thoughts. When they arrived at Hikari's door, she almost frowned in disappointment.

'_Thanks for walking me home,'_ she broke free from his grip and signed in the air. Takeru smiled in return as he prepared to leave. However, much like every time he walked her home, he remained on his spot and looked into her eyes. The difference being that this time, they kept their gaze in anticipation and expectation. Takeru took a step forward and held Hikari's shoulders, pulling her closer to his body as he pressed his lips on top of hers. Hikari did not hesitate in accepting the kiss and she grabbed his shirt to pull him closer as well, wanting to treasure this moment. She found herself never getting enough of this as she tilted her head to give him more room to show his passion. They parted after a minute that left both of them breathless, smiling shyly but affectionately at each other.

'I'll text you later,' said Takeru as he finally left, entering the elevator and waving at the girl. Hikari continued waving until Takeru was out of sight.

She took out her key and unlocked the door. After entering the apartment, she closed the door behind her and her back glided down the door until she sat on the ground, her back leaning on the wooden door for support. She blinked continuously and, as if wondering if her memory had tricked her, slid her hands up to her lips, the tip of her fingers feeling the warmth Takeru had left behind, her lips parting in disbelief. Her eyes were wide open the whole time as she recalled the moment their lips met for the first time.

_At that moment, it was like the world around her had ceased to exist. She could not hear any sound made by the dancing crowd or the music coming through the loudspeakers. All she could hear was the irregular beating of her heart, and the soft sound produced by the physical contact she made with the boy she liked. She felt a chill passing through her whole body and her legs trembled, so she wrapped her arms tightly around Takeru's waist to keep herself in balance. She was too afraid to let go._

_After a few seconds their lips parted and they were panting heavily. While the kiss did not last long, the excitement drained them much of their adrenaline. Hikari kept staring into Takeru's ocean blue orbs and he did the same thing, gazing at her as if she would disappear if he turned away. For minutes both did not move, nor did they look away from each other. They forgot about the world and just watched each other carefully, as if breaking the stillness would be an impious act. _

_Finally, a soft smiled formed on Takeru's face as he took Hikari's hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. It was a small, wordless gesture that Hikari understood immediately. She smiled shyly in return and rested her head on his shoulder, hugging him with her spare hand. She could feel his arms wrapping around her waist, holding her gently. Hikari found herself really enjoying his bodily warmth, as the smile of happiness remained on her face. She closed her eyes and let the moment last, while praying that, by work of a miracle, it would not end. _

_The two remained in that position until the loud music stopped playing, signalling the end of the dance. The crowd was beginning to disperse as the student council president announced the end of the day. Takeru and Hikari unwillingly broke off the embrace, but their eyes never broke contact with each other. _

'_The others will be coming back soon,' he whispered. They had to come back to get their bags and conduct the final round of clean-up, after all. Hikari nodded._

'_Then we'll all go to the celebratory dinner together,' he continued, stating the fact that Hikari already knew. It was a tradition for the whole class to have a celebration together, with their class teacher, after a hard day's work. She nodded again._

'_Let me walk you home after that,' he concluded. It was a quiet request, Hikari reckoned, and she understood what he implied with that too. Now that there was a shift in their relationship, she knew Takeru was not eager to let everyone know about his private life. So they would pretend everything was just as usual in the public eye. His reassurance of walking her home, however, showed that he was not toying with her before, that he was serious. And she was grateful of that. She nodded again, this time with a small, loving smile that Takeru couldn't help but lunge forward to steal another kiss from her._

Looking back, Hikari wasn't sure if they were that good at keeping a low profile about it. At least she was sure Akemi and Ken had been sending suspicious glances at them, even though they tried to act normal throughout the dinner at a sushi bar nearby. She also spotted Takeru apologizing to Ken, and the blue-haired boy just cast a look at her and smirked. She did not understand what that was about, but when the whole class left the restaurant Ken managed to send everyone away first until the three of them, along with Daisuke, were the only ones standing in front of the restaurant. With a wink, a nod, and a sly smirk, he and a slightly confused Daisuke walked away as well.

The brown-haired girl wasn't too surprised if Ken had figured it out, somehow. He was a very perceptive person, after all. Still, she thought she did not have to worry about it, as she could trust the blue-haired boy. Besides, she shouldn't let herself be bothered by such a minor thing. She had better things to think about. That thought alone brought a wide grin to her face, as the temperature of her cheeks rose again.

'Hikari, you there?' She snapped out of her own thought when she heard her brother's voice. Taichi emerged from the living room and walked towards the entrance, and blinked when he found his little sister sitting on the floor, leaning on the door, and grinning stupidly with a flushed face.

'…you okay, Hikari?' Taichi narrowed his eyes, wondering why his sister looked like she had lost her sanity. He thought it was strange to have the door open and close without anyone walking into the living room. As both his parents were watching television with him in the living room, his sister was the only possible person to have entered the flat. Still, when a grinning Hikari shook her head and walked past him to enter her own room, he found the whole episode strange. Staring at the closed door of Hikari's room, Taichi concluded that it might just be she was excited after a whole day of work. He knew the girl was very worked up about it before, so he did not think much about it and returned to the TV drama he was watching with his parents.

In her room, Hikari was rolling in her bed, clutching her pillow in her arms tightly as she failed again and again to wipe that deep blush and silly grin off her face. If she could, she would have squealed out loud in a girly manner out of pure joy. She still could not quite believe what had happened, but it was definitely a day to cherish, for all she cared. She had just fulfilled a dream of hers and she found Takeru reciprocating her feelings for him. She didn't know what else could possibly make her feel any happier.

Her phone vibrated and she reached for it immediately. She looked at the screen and saw that she had received a text message. The sender was none other than Takaishi Takeru.

She smiled again, her fingers scrubbing the part of the screen that displayed his name. Today wasn't just a good day as she had wished. Today was the best day of her life.

* * *

_End of Chapter 11_

* * *

How long have people been waiting for this to happen, heh? I'll be honest in saying I'm very impatient in getting this scene done, just because I also want to get their relationship established as soon as possible. This is also one of the key scenes I had in mind, when I started planning this story. I always entertain the idea of them slowing dancing in the dusk, then slowly moving on to the kiss. I purposely only describe Hikari's feeling on the kiss, as I'm saving Takeru's for later chapters. However, as you may be aware I've said that the future path is not going to be all lovey-dovey. There will still be drama.

The dark, 'haraguro' Takeru, when he was dealing with those senior high students, was inspired by the fight scene he had with Ken in episode 19 of _Digimon02_. I like the idea of that dark Takeru very much, and just want to play with that a little here.

I noticed that I have not stated specifically the dates for the story, so below is a timeline of the events so far. Some have specific dates while some are of no importance. From now on I'll state the date on the top of the chapter to make things clearer, in case people are confused:

_Chapter 1,2 – first week of May  
Chapter 3 – the day after  
Chapter 4 – last week of May  
Chapter 5 – first week of June  
Chapter 6 – last week of June  
Chapter 7 – 1__st__ July  
Chapter 8 – 2__nd__ July  
Chapter 9 – 7__th__ July  
Chapter 10, 11 – 10__th__ July_

Next chapter: we'll take a short break from Takari moments and join ten-year-old Takeru and twelve-year-old Mimi in Rome, four years before the main timeline of the story. Yes, it's the promised interlude chapter about their encounter in Europe!

Reviews will be deeply appreciated! Until next time!


	13. Interlude II: All Roads Lead to Rome

Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews! I forgot to mention in last chapter that this story has reached over a hundred reviews by now, so a big THANK YOU to every reviewer, especially those who have reviewed on almost all chapters! Your support and comments mean a lot to me!

Here is the promised interlude chapter of Takeru's encounter with Mimi! I wrote this as I was writing my semi-crack fic, _'A Drunken Tale'_, so the style is also a bit crack-like. This chapter takes place **four years before the main plot, in Rome**, one of my favourite cities. Translation of Italian phrases is in brackets and italics. The Trevi Fountain does exist, and is a really beautiful place, but other parts of the city are based purely on imagination.

Just a note again: the term 'football' will be mentioned quite a few times in this chapter. It refers to the sport that two teams of eleven people play with their feet for 90 minutes. Don't confuse that with the American one.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Interlude II: All Roads Lead to Rome, Eventually_

* * *

Rome. La città eterna. Caput Mundi. The capital of Southern European Italy. The metropolis of the glorious Roman Empire. It was a city of arts and energy. Statues of ancient heroes stood proudly on streets, and ornate fountains were easily spotted everywhere. The Baroque and Renaissance architecture remained intact after all these years, with signs of aging perpetuating their artistic legacies. Even the people looked extraordinarily gorgeous. Men and women, regardless of age, looked like supermodels on covers of fashion magazines. What they wore did not even matter when each movement illustrated an aura of aesthetic charisma. Everyone was talking. Everyone was laughing. The glamour of the city, under the summer breeze, was mesmerizingly seductive to the eyes of anyone who set foot on the city landscape.

Despite all these beautiful sights lying in front of her, awaiting her appreciations, Tachikawa Mimi was in no mood to admire any of them. The twelve-year-old girl stared blankly at the giant fountain in front of her. She vaguely recalled this was the Trevi Fountain, a famous scenic spot of Rome. Below the triumphal arch was another proud statue, skimming the crowd under his eyelids like a general scrutinizing each of his men carefully. On his sides, separated by lofty pillars, stood two women, one pouring water into the pond and the other one feeding a thirsty snake. Standing in front of them, but below where they were standing, was a couple of servants taming two mythical horses with wings on their back. These ancient heroes were separated from the crowd by a large pond of blue water, as if suggesting the difference in status between the gods and the lowly humans honouring them.

What the heck did these all mean? Mimi had no idea. All she knew about this place was that throwing a coin into the pond would ensure a future return to the Eternal City. While the chestnut-haired girl did not believe in such silly superstition, she terribly needed some sort of luck right now. More importantly, she needed her peace of mind. So from her purse she took out an American coin and threw it into the pond, treating it as a wish fulfilment pond. Surely, the Roman gods would not mind? She's giving them money, after all! She clapped her hands a few times and began to pray.

'_Dear Roman gods, please help me find my way to my place, wherever that is. I beg you with the humblest mind. I'll do whatever you want if you show me the way to my place…'_

Yes, Mimi was lost. In a city she barely knew. In a country she had never been to. Her pink luggage was sitting obediently by her side as she prayed to the gods and goddesses of the ancient civilisation. Some people stared at her curiously, as if commending her determination to visit the reverent fountain right after she had just landed on the capital of the Italian Republic. She sighed, and wondered again how she had gotten herself into this.

She came to Italy from the United States because her father, a college professor in East Asian Studies, would be spending the coming two years as a visiting scholar in the local university. Yet he was attending an academic conference in England, and he would not arrive in Italy until a week later. Her mother had to deal with the financial matters in America before she moved. Mimi, eager to prove her independence to her parents, volunteered to come to Italy first, as this gave her the chance to explore the city freely before she began her tedious school life. If she followed either of her parents' schedule to come, she would be late for her school's opening day in September anyway. So her parents arranged for her to stay at a friend's place for the week before her father came to meet her.

The problem began when she got on a taxi from the airport. She showed the driver her address, and the middle-aged man sped up, driving at over a hundred and fifty miles per hour in the highway. Mimi already had to try her best to resist the urge of screaming out loud when she felt like riding on a Ferrari. She held on tight to her seat belt, her eyes glued to the front as she dared not glance at the side window that would tell her the driver was capable of competing in Formula One. When they entered the city, however, the driver showed no intention in slowing down at all. The taxi accelerated on the crowded road as it went past other cars casually, drifting on its way as it overtook the vehicles ahead. Mimi could no longer stop herself, and she squealed in a high-pitched voice out of pure fear. The driver was shocked and he yelled at her, probably telling her to shut her mouth, but Mimi did not understand the language at all and just kept screaming while clutching to her seat belt tightly. When the taxi came to a halt in the road, she threw some notes at the driver hurriedly and ran away from the cab. The driver cursed and barked after her, but she didn't care. She just took her bag and her suitcase and left as fast as she could, not sparing the red-faced man another glance.

It was when she stopped to catch her breath that she realized she had left her guidebook in the taxi. Losing the guidebook wasn't that important, as she could easily buy another one. What gave her a headache was that her new address was in that guidebook as well. Now she was stuck. She had no memory of the place or the person she should be contacting. What could she do now? She had looked into the address before, but memorizing had never been her strength.

The twelve-year-old girl let out a defeated sigh as she finished her prayer. Just standing here doing nothing would not help, she thought. She should try to ask someone for help.

But what could she ask for? A place to stay? Mimi scowled at the idea. There was no way she was going to stay at a total stranger's place. Who knew what the stranger would do to a pretty girl like her! Should she try to find her way to the place where she would meet up with her mother's friend? She only knew it was around the Trevi Fountain, but it was a big place and she did not know where exactly it was located. Besides, every street looked the same to her. She rubbed her temple and sighed again. Still, maybe she should at least buy a guidebook. Maybe she could recognize the place in the map by some dumb luck? Flipping her big, brown hat and adjusting her brown belt on her crimson dress, she figured that was the only thing she could do now.

Then there was her second problem. Where could she get a guidebook? She saw many stalls selling souvenirs, but she did not spot any shop that looked like a decent bookstore, and she refused to purchase anything from those stalls that looked so broken and ready to eat her alive. She timidly approached some locals and asked them for help, which led to her third problem: she could not speak Italian. She could only do basic greetings, but not something as complicated as asking for direction.

Groaning, Mimi kicked a rock on the street and buckled up her courage. _Just ask and maybe they'll know English! This is a tourist attraction after all!_ She thought to herself. She looked around and found a young blond standing a few feet from her. He seemed to be around her age, so that made Mimi feel more relaxed as she preferred to talk to someone younger. He had a white bucket hat on, with a pale green t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. He looked rather cute too, the chestnut-haired girl noted. That must mean he should be able to help, right? Right! Mimi encouraged herself mentally as she approached the blond.

'Scusa.' _(Excuse me.)_

The first thing Mimi noticed, when the boy turned around to face her, was his bright blue eyes. They glistered under the sunlight and Mimi was mesmerized by how beautiful they appeared to her. The second thing in her mind was that this boy was actually quite handsome too. A few strands of blond hair wavered as he moved his head to her direction, facing her directly.

'O…buon giorno!' She blurted out the first phrase she knew, earning a confused look from the boy. 'Eh…let's see…' Mimi whispered under breath, trying to figure out how to ask if he knew English. His mother had taught her that before she came to Italy, just in case. 'Parli…parli italiano?' _(Do you speak Italian?)_

The boy stared at her for a moment as if she was mad.

'Si, parlo italiano. Come posso aiutarla?'_ (Yes, I speak Italian. How can I help you?)_

Mimi just looked at him blankly and realized how stupid her question sounded. Really, who in Italy asked a local Italian if he knew how to speak his own language? Besides, what he just said was outside of her limited knowledge of Italian vocabulary. She had no idea what he was saying.

'Ah…parli inglese?' _(You speak English?)_

The boy shook his head, much to Mimi's disappointment. 'No, non parlo inglese. _(No, I don't speak English.)_

However, her confused and deflated expression drew out a friendly snort from the blond.

'Sei giapponese?'_ (Are you Japanese?)_

Mimi just stared again. Was it 'Japan' that she heard? She wasn't sure. But why was he snorting?

'Parlo no italiano…oh wait, that isn't the right way to say it…what is it again…'

'Ah, sorry. I mean, are you Japanese?'

Hearing the familiar language snapped her out of her thought and her jaws dropped. 'YOU SPEAK JAPANESE?'

The blond standing in front of her laughed and cheekily covered his mouth. 'Well, I am Japanese too,' he smiled. 'I may look foreign, but I was born and raised in Japan.'

Mimi just stared with her eyes wide open. On one hand she wanted to jump around in joy for meeting someone who could understand her perfectly, but on the other hand she felt incredibly stupid for making a fool out of herself in front of a fellow countryman.

'Are you lost?' The boy asked, concerned. Mimi blinked hard.

'How do you know?' Mimi asked loudly, stunned that the boy could see through her right away.

'Well…' he scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. 'It's just that you've been carrying your luggage and wandering around here for quite some time now,' he pointed her pink suitcase, 'so I've been thinking if you're a tourist that got lost or something.'

Mimi felt her face flush from embarrassment. While she was flattered that a boy was paying attention to her, she wished it would be under a better circumstance.

'In fact, yea…' she sighed and explained her situation to the blond. Although she did not really know him, at the very least they were from the same country. In a foreign land, knowing a fellow compatriot made her feel less distressed.

'Hmm.' The blond lowered his head and rubbed his chin, thinking about the situation thoroughly. He did not think letting a young girl wander around a strange city would be a good idea. 'How about I help you find your way? You said that you have a vague idea where the place is, right?'

Mimi's eyes glistered with hope. 'Really? Will you help me?'

'Why not?' The blond grinned. 'You can tell me the approximate location and I can take you there.'

'Thank you so much!' Mimi was blinking with tears of joy as she threw her arms around the blond, hugging him tightly. She felt so grateful for the stranger's help that she couldn't care less about common courtesy. The blond was taken aback by her action and stumbled back a few steps, while blushing furiously at the intimate contact.

'Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet!' Mimi released her embrace and beamed at the boy. 'You can call me Mimi. And you? What is your name?' The blond was still a bit shocked by her way of displaying affection, but he recovered quickly and managed a timid smile amidst a furious blush.

'Just call me Takeru, Mimi-san.'

* * *

After Mimi focused her mind on recalling the address, she finally came up with a building name, and Takeru led her away from the Trevi Fountain. He told her that it should be a twenty-minute walk from where they were, and Mimi was glad to know it wasn't that far away. Takeru also offered to help her carry the suitcase, to which Mimi reluctantly agreed. While she liked the idea of a boy carrying her stuff, she already owed him for guiding her way, and she felt bad since they barely knew each other. It wasn't really appropriate.

Hence on their way, they talked about themselves. Mimi learnt that Takeru just got to Rome a month ago, having stayed in Paris and Bordeaux in the past years due to his mother's work. He knew Italian because he learnt that in France, but he only knew little English. He also mentioned that he moved to Europe with his mother, and Mimi quickly took that as a hint of not to ask anything about his father, given how morose he looked when he talked about it. Having met people from varying family background before, she had learnt not to raise certain questions when people had that look on their faces.

So Mimi changed the topic and talked about herself. She told him that she was born in Odaiba (and what a happy coincidence to know that he was, too), but her family had moved to the United States when she was six, and now she was going to spend two years in Rome due to her father's appointment. She missed Japan, she admitted, although she enjoyed the American lifestyle. They began to talk intensively about Odaiba, the city they were no longer familiar with, but a place both wanted to go back some time.

After asking several people about the address, Takeru and Mimi finally arrived at the place she mentioned. However, both gulped and looked hesitant in entering the building.

'You sure this is the place, Mimi-san?' Takeru asked almost in a whisper as several men on streets were staring at them, and they were watching the two youngsters carefully with judging eyebrows.

'I…guess…' Honestly, Mimi had no idea. She just vaguely recalled a name that sounded quite like this building. However, she was sure her mother would not dump her in a rather…ghetto place. The broken building structures and dirty outlook made her shiver. In addition to that, she didn't like the way people looked at them with those piercing eyes and evil, perverted smirks.

'…Well, then I guess we should just see if this is the place,' Takeru whispered, not really convinced. He gestured for Mimi to stay close to her as he did not particularly like the glances the men were sending them. They entered the building and approached the reception, where a man was smoking a cigarette while reading newspaper. Takeru moved forward to talk to him, and then within seconds two men emerged from the stairs, and they muttered something to Takeru in a low voice. Mimi had no idea what they were saying, but then Takeru suddenly stood in front of her protectively, raising his arms and yelling something back. Given the tone of his voice, he was being particularly respectful despite his angry tone. A man laughed and looked lustfully at them and walked towards them. Mimi shrieked and held her arms tenaciously, her body intuitively facing another side. She had a really bad feeling about this, and she wondered if the ten-year-old blond in front of her was able to fight off these well-built, muscular men.

'Don't come any closer!' she yelled in English, although she knew the chance of them understanding was close to zero. 'Move a step further, and I'll scream!'

However, the man only flashed her a stolid, indifferent stare before settling his eyes back on Takeru. He raised his hand and touched the blond's cheek, caressing it gently, while his other hand grabbed his waist and drew circles around his stomach, and gradually made its way downwards. The other man also stepped forward and put his arm around the ten-year-old's shoulder, bringing him closer to his muscular body, and took his time inhaling his scent.

She wasn't sure if her scream was louder or Takeru's desperate one was, but in the next second, both tacitly turned around and ran as fast as they could. Mimi ignored everything else as she carried her suitcase and sprinted with all her might. She cursed herself for leading Takeru to that place, even though she didn't mean it. She was sure that was the wrong address. There was no way her mother's friend would be staying at such a place.

Gasping for breath, both youngsters stopped running after a couple of minutes when they determined they were safe. They were back at the Trevi Fountain. Mimi dropped herself on the ground and panted hard, but she noticed there was something wrong with the blond. She looked up, and found that Takeru had silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

'Oh my, Takeru! Are you alright?'

'Am I alright…am I alright?' Takeru sniffed as he turned to face Mimi, his cheeks flushing madly and his teeth gritting before he started to yell. 'I've just been touched by a freaking paedophile! That place is a freaking brothel, of male prostitutes! No wonder people keep giving me weird glances when I asked them for the address of that place! I've never been humiliated like that before in my life! Do you really think I'm alright!?'

Mimi bit her lips, feeling the guilt building up in her heart. She knew it was her fault, as Takeru was only taking her to where she thought the place was. She had created this mess, she admitted. There was no excuse. Who knew what would have happened if they stayed any longer? Although the men probably wouldn't touch her when Takeru was there…

'I'm sorry,' she said, lowering her head as she felt like a horrible person. She looked around and spotted a gelato shop. 'How about I buy you some ice-cream?'

That did not necessarily help ease his foul mood. 'I'm not a freaking child!' Takeru cried.

The blond eventually calmed down after some more yelling, and he apologized in turn for his rude outburst. Mimi tried to assure him that she understood, that she was the one to blame, and that she was still going to treat him ice-cream anyway as she wanted some. The blond sighed and resignedly accepted her offer.

'So do you have any other clue on where your place is? Takeru said while licking his chocolate ice-cream. 'And this time, please make sure it's the right place,' he added when he remembered what just happened some minutes ago, and he shivered at the mere thought of it.

Mimi put a finger on her cheek and rolled her eyes as she tried to think of the place. 'My dad also gives me a name of the person I'm supposed to find, but I cannot remember clearly what the name is.'

'Well, what's your guess?' Takeru asked, figuring it was at least better than nothing. Maybe by chance he would know this person? His mother had introduced some other Japanese people in town to him, so he might have a clue.

'Something with "shi" and "ta"…oh wait, I think it's Takanashi!' (*)

'Are you sure?' Takeru tried to think if he had ever met anyone with that last name, but he couldn't. Mimi shrugged, explaining that she really couldn't remember without looking at the note again. Takeru sighed.

'Maybe the name won't be that helpful…' he licked his ice-cream again and tried to think of another way. 'So, you cannot remember the address, or at least part of it?'

Mimi mentioned some other street names, and only one of them was around Trevi Fountain. The other choices were just too far away or nonexistent. They decided they should try to get to that street.

'You'd better be saying the right street this time,' Takeru groaned as they walked. 'I don't want to run into some crazy people again.'

Mimi had a guilty look again, and tried to change the topic. They went on to talk about their lives living abroad, and how they perceived cultural difference from Japan. The twelve-year-old girl also asked him about Paris and Bordeaux, since she had always wanted to go to France. Paris was similar to Rome in the sense that it kept a lot of its old buildings, so the whole city had an antique feeling that never quite lost the sophistication of French elegance. Bordeaux was famous for its wine production, and Mimi was shocked to find out Takeru had consumed quite a lot of wine at his age. 'They don't care much there,' the blond shrugged. 'I accompanied my mother often on some banquets, and the people there loved to give me wine. I don't know why, but it's fun to see my mother getting agitated about it when she found out.'

They arrived at the address Mimi suggested, and Takeru raised his head to look at the tag of the building. It was a football jersey store. Takeru gave his companion a dirty look.

'What?' Mimi avoided meeting his accusing glance. 'Maybe this is the place. Don't look like that. Have some hope.' She knew she did not sound convincing at all, but since they had arrived already, she thought it might be good to at least try asking people inside. Takeru shook his head, but followed her lead nevertheless.

Inside the shop, the walls were occupied fully by football jerseys of different teams and signed posters of football stars. Mimi did not recognize any of the team or player name since football was not a popular sport in America. She looked around, and failed to spot any Asian-looking person who might be the person she was looking for. Takeru went ahead to approach the clerk, and Mimi just wandered around the store, curious about the items on display. There were towels, stationary, baby shirts, and even diamonds and other expensive jewelleries. She found the mere idea totally ridiculous. Who would want to receive a piece of jewellery with a football club logo printed on it? She randomly picked up a jersey and inspected it. She didn't really see anything special about it. The design wasn't that great, and the shirt did not look too appealing to her. Why would anyone want to buy such a shirt? She wondered.

A shop assistant approached her and said something, seemingly asking if she needed any help. She was too busy staring at the young man's handsome features and bright smile that she did not respond right away. Why did all Italians look so gorgeous? Damn those hormones! She felt like she could be lost in those charming eyes forever, and his well-built body looked very sexy that she licked her lips unconsciously. It wasn't until the young man waved in front of her eyes that she realized she had been drooling at him.

'Ah…I…non parlo…'

'Mimi-san, this is the wrong address.'

Takeru's sudden emergence startled her and she took a step back, her body crashing into the stall holding some round objects known as football. They dropped under gravity, and right before they landed on her head, Mimi instinctively screeched and punched the balls away. With calculated accuracy, she shoved the balls right at the metal frame holding all the football jerseys. The frame fell, and the edge of it broke through the top of the glass shelf, shattering it completely, leaving the content unprotected. Some jewelleries inside the shelf fell on the ground, and while they did not break, the sight was spectacular enough for everyone in the store to stop whatever they were doing and gasped in horror.

The silence followed by was suffocating. Mimi looked around nervously and tried to say something to break the uncomfortable silence. No one had said a word since the glass shelf was smashed into pieces.

'Err…' she opened her mouth and everyone looked at her with different expression. The other customers looked amused and entertained, while the workers had their jaws on the floor and they gawked fixedly at her. The chestnut-haired girl did not get to say another word, however, as Takeru's panic voice reached her first.

'Corriamo!' _(Run!)_

'What?' Mimi did not understand at first, but Takeru did not acknowledge her query as he quickly grabbed her hand and the handle of her suitcase.

'RUN!' He yelled, and dashed towards the exit in full force, carrying the confused girl and a rather heavy suitcase with him. The store manager and assistants blinked, but after a few still seconds they began shouting in various dialects and ran after the two youngsters. Mimi screamed along the way as they kept crashing into passersby, but the approaching sound of the angry shop assistants made her adrenaline skyrocket. She would not have enough money right now to compensate for all that! Plus, she did not want to get into trouble on her first day of landing. This was supposed to be a new beginning for her! Why did strange things keep on happening to her? Where were the Roman gods who should be protecting her? She did make a donation to them!

Come to think about it, she caused these troubles all by herself. It was she who gave Takeru a wrong address and led him into being touched affectionately by that paedophile, and it was she who, by the theory of unintended consequences, broke the glass. If there was anyone to blame for her misfortune, it would be her…

Still, she dismissed that thought quickly as she and Takeru ran for their lives.

* * *

Takeru didn't know how long they had been running. Had it been ten whole minutes already? Mimi and he passed through several tortuous roads and forced their way through the unknowing crowd, and they came to a halt only when they could no longer hear the angry shouting and wild curses from the shop assistants.

They sat on the bottom of a stair step as they tried to catch their breath. Takeru leaned back and wiped away the sweat on his forehead. Even though he played sports often, the tension and hysteria of the situation were too much for his ten-year-old lung to handle. Mimi, on the other hand, looked like she was on the edge of passing out. She put a hand on her chest to feel her rapid heartbeat. While she usually had good stamina, she had just gotten off a ten-hour flight from New York to Rome. Plus, the very idea that she was the culprit of this mess added much to her mental fatigue. She reached inside her bag and wanted to get a pack of tissue paper, and noticed that there was a sheet of paper lying next to it.

She blinked.

'Wha…what were you thinking back there?' Takeru moaned. 'Are you here just to make my legs and my mind suffer, Mimi-san?' he said amidst heavy puffing. He rubbed his legs to relax his sore muscles. He did not recall having run like that in his life before, especially when he was also carrying Mimi's pink suitcase with him, and such a big item did not go well with the rivers of innocent passersby on streets.

Hearing no response from the chestnut-haired girl, Takeru turned his head to see what she was doing.

'Mimi-san?' He asked. Mimi had a look of pure horror on her face as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his gaze. She was holding a piece of paper on her hand, and Takeru was confused. Yet his frown disappeared instantly when he heard what she said.

'The address is here…it has always been in my bag…I didn't see it before…'

Takeru looked torn between smacking his own head or hers. It took him some effort to force some sound out of his open mouth.

'…you kidding me?'

Mimi shifted her gaze away in embarrassment as she passed him the note. When Takeru read the content, he had to try his best not to dash forward and slap the girl right away. He knew the address. Heck, he knew the contact person too well. He buried his face in his hands, and seriously thought about strangling the girl he just met.

'_Go to the address listed here, and find Takaishi Natsuko. She's an old friend of mine and she'll take care of you. The address is…'_

* * *

Natsuko was worried.

When she left home this morning to work, she forgot to tell her son that the daughter of her junior high friend was going to stay here for a week before she moved to her own apartment. Natsuko was excited at the prospect of having a close friend of hers staying in the same city with her, but then she had been so busy with her work that she forgot to mention this to Takeru. She had thought of asking him to pick her up at the airport or at the Trevi Fountain, if Mimi decided to take a taxi, but the whole arrangement totally slipped her mind when she had been working overtime for three consecutive days.

The blonde journalist checked her watch anxiously as she took a turn at the corner of the street. Mimi's flight had arrived a few hours ago, and she should have arrived at her apartment by now. However, what if Takeru had gone out and missed her? Would she be waiting by the door or wandering around by herself? Natsuko had not received any phone call even though she was sure Tachikawa Satoe had given her daughter her number, in case of emergency. Had the flight been delayed? Did Mimi have enough money to come here from the airport? So many questions were running through her head as she took the stairs and reached her apartment. Taking out her key, she unlocked the front door.

The first thing she noticed, upon entering her apartment of less than a month, was a large, pink suitcase resting by the shoe rack. She raised her eyebrows. A pair of female shoes she hadn't seen before was also present. There could only be one logical explanation, given that her son wasn't the type to bring random girls home. Besides, he was too young for that.

'Mimi-chan, is that you?'

Having received no reply, she took off her shoes and walked inside. There was no one in the living room or in the kitchen. The thirty-six-year-old woman left her bag and the document she was carrying on the desk of her room. She then entered Takeru's room, which had the door wide open, to see if her son was home, and she tried to comprehend the scene in front of her when she realized her son was not alone.

Takeru was sleeping on his bed, which wasn't surprising, but he was pushed aside by another figure. This newcomer had long chestnut hair and was clinging to the pillow tightly, holding it like a big teddy bear. It didn't take long for Natsuko to identify the new figure as Tachikawa Mimi, with the trademark hair colour inherited from her mother, Satoe. Both were snoring lightly as if they had had a long day, and occasionally Mimi would try to push Takeru away to get more space, only for the young blond to groan and slap her hand away impatiently. Natsuko noticed Takeru was still wearing his outdoor outfit, which was uncommon since he always changed into something more comfortable at home. Mimi was also wearing a long dress that did not look like it was suitable for napping. Both youngsters were snoring hard, as if they had run a marathon today.

Natsuko didn't really know what happened, but she decided to leave them as they were. Whatever questions she had in mind, she'd ask Takeru when he woke up. Smirking, her professional instinct kicked in and she now just needed to retrieve her camera. This was an opportunity she could not miss.

* * *

_End of Interlude II_

* * *

* While 'Takanashi' sounds similar to 'Takaishi', they are completely different in Japanese writing. 'Takanashi' is written as '小鳥遊' while 'Takaishi' is written as '高石'. That's why Takeru did not think of his own last name at first, since he was primed to think of a different name.

* * *

If you're wondering what Takeru was doing in Trevi Fountain, he was NOT there to check out girls. He was merely walking around to kill time as he got bored.

The driver's reckless driving was based on my personal experience. When I was in Rome, I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel, and the taxi driver was more like an F1 racer as he drifted past other vehicles effortlessly in the city. On the day I departed for the airport, again in a taxi, the driver was playing with his phone (with both hands) as the car was running at 150 miles/hour. It was one of the most frightening experiences in my life.

I understand many looked forward to reading this chapter, and I hope I did well on it. This was not in my original plan for the story, and I can't say I'm very satisfied with the outcome as I had to try to fit in things, but I do hope you enjoy reading it. After all, this is meant to be a relaxing chapter. Next chapter will be back to normal timeline, with Takeru and Hikari's first date as a couple.

Reviews are appreciated! Until next time!


	14. Chapter 12: And Thus

Thank you every one for your kind reviews so far! With the kiss scene from the chapter before, this story has concluded its first long arc, and now we're onto the second one. Approximately, this story will end by the end of the third long arc, so a big THANK YOU for your patience as well!

I'm glad that people like the Rome chapter. It was hard trying to describe the beautiful city, but I'm glad people like it. Plus, there are Mimi and a ten-year-old Takeru. If I can think of more events that could have happened to them during Takeru's two-year stay in Rome, I'll make an extra chapter on that.

I'll be adding dates on top of each chapter from now on. If you want to know the timeline of previous chapters, please refer to the author's note by the end of _Chapter 11: Good Will Hunting_.

As promised, this is the chapter about Takeru and Hikari's first date. This is a relatively short chapter that paves the way into the drama that I mentioned to some beforehand.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 12: And Thus, They Took the First Step_

* * *

_(2 years ago)_

'_Takaishi, mind explaining what this is?'_

_Takeru stared at his teacher with a bored expression. 'An essay,' he said nonchalantly, 'as you requested.'_

'_I asked for a composition on the topic of family love. I expect to see a piece of work about your family, about your life, about your sibling. I don't really expect a four-hundred-word composition denouncing the love among family members, like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum.'_

'_I'm not throwing a tantrum,' Takeru groaned, feeling slightly offended. 'Besides, what is wrong with my stand? Not all love is perfect and good.'_

'_You're not supposed to write about how love falls apart and how the children will grow up being miserable and can never find love,' the teacher sighed and looked at the first-year student. 'You should talk about the bright side, of how love strengthens the bond between people and how a healthy family structure works ideally for the children.'_

_Takeru rolled his eyes in desperation, but kept his mouth shut as the teacher lectured him on how great love and family were. He had to try his best not to sneer at his teacher's words. While he respected the man, he just did not think he was making any sense._

_When he finally was allowed to leave the staffroom, he found Ken standing outside, waiting for him._

'_How did the talk with Hayashi-sensei go?' the blue-haired boy asked as they walked together back to their classroom._

'_Dreadful,' Takeru replied in a low voice. 'Same old saying that my writing is too dark and negative, that I should complain less and brighten up more, yada yada yada.' _

_Ken chuckled at his friend's response. 'You can't blame him, though,' he said. 'I read your composition, and I thought it was written by some cynical, nihilistic punk.'_

'_It wasn't that bad,' Takeru whined. 'All I did was pointing out the other side of the story that they don't like to hear. They don't understand that not all families function perfectly. They don't get that love can be a lethal weapon against your family members. They don't get that…' Takeru stopped when he saw Ken's eyes flicker. 'I'm sorry,' he muttered._

'_It's okay,' Ken gave a weak smile as he raised his head and stared at the sky from the open area of the corridor. Takeru felt a pang of guilt in his heart for bringing up the sensitive subject, and he was about to say more when they heard Daisuke's enthusiastic cry._

'_Hey Takeru, did you get your ass kicked by old man Hayashi again?' _

_Ken laughed and joined his friend in the classroom. Takeru hesitated, but decided to let the subject drop for the moment._

* * *

_11__th__ July, 2006_

Fourteen-year-old Takaishi Takeru was taken aback when he was attacked by a warm and affectionate embrace from the ever joyful Tachikawa Mimi.

'I'm sooooo happy for you and Hikari-chan!' Mimi squealed loudly and climbed over her chair to hug her unofficial little brother, ignoring the curious glances from her manager and other people in the room. 'I want details! Give me details! How did you ask her? Did you confess under a big tree in the back of the school? How did she react? Oh my, I should send her a congratulatory text! Or do you want to keep it low first? Oh my God, I can't believe it! I want details!'

'I CAN'T BREATHE!' Takeru barely managed to yell and pushed Mimi away. He took a step back and dropped on his chair. The chestnut-haired girl leaned forward on her seat with a radiant beam, ebullience clearly shown all over her face, as she looked at him with expectant eyes. Takeru sighed, knowing that this was what he would have to do before he could get what he wanted from the teen idol. Without any other choice, he started to tell Mimi everything: how they first met (Mimi insisted on knowing that part), how their friendship grew, and how, on yesterday's School Festival, he confessed by kissing her on the lips after a slow dance.

'OH MY GOD!' Mimi shrieked happily and hid her mouth with her fists as she giggled at the blond's sheepish expression. 'YOU KISSED YOU RIGHT AWAY? AFTER A DANCE OF JUST YOU TWO IN THE ROOM?' Several heads turned in their direction, wondering what the teen idol was talking about. Takeru had to restrain her from making a scene. They were inside a TV studio now, after all, and he did not want Mimi to announce every single detail of his private life to people he didn't even know.

'Mimi-chan, fifteen minutes until your turn,' Mimi's manager said while glaring at the young blond. She did not really like it that a _nobody_ like him could be here, but the long-haired woman was not immune to Mimi's puppy eyes. The young girl insisted rather fiercely that this _nobody _saved her life before, and that she would walk away from the shooting now if she did not respond to his desperate call for help right now. Inured to her exaggeration, Takeru felt bad for the manager. At times, he felt like the woman was babysitting the sixteen-year-old instead of serving as her professional manager.

'Gotcha, Yoshie-san,' Mimi casually replied and shifted her focus back on Takeru again. 'So what else am I missing? You said you're taking her on a date tomorrow? Actually, why not today? Why are you even here and not spending time with your new girlfriend?'

'Slow down, Mimi-san,' Takeru put his hands in the air to stop her from asking more questions. 'I feel that it may be awkward if we meet today, just after we kis…after what happened yesterday.' A faint blush appeared on his cheeks again, and Mimi looked more than amused. 'Besides, I want to ask for your advice.'

'My advice?' Mimi cocked her head questioningly, waiting for him to go on.

'Well…' Takeru stuttered as he felt really embarrassed talking about this, but he did not know who else he could turn to. Yamato was more experienced in this, but he didn't feel like discussing this with him. He could always ask his mother, but he had a feeling that talking to Natsuko would just be like talking to Yamato. It was just awkward talking about this to his family. They would likely ask him questions that Mimi just did, and he did not entertain the idea of repeating the whole story. Daisuke would only give him nonsensical suggestions, such as taking Hikari to dinner at a noodle cart or just to a football game. Ken would be a logical choice, and he trusted the boy's judgment, but he didn't feel like asking for his help after he had just apologized to the blue-haired boy for his outburst.

'Takeru-chan, I don't have all day,' Mimi urged.

'What do…what should I do on my first date with Hikari-san?'

Mimi's face fell. 'That's it?' She asked, visibly disappointed by his simple question. 'That's all you want to ask so urgently?'

'Well…yea.' Takeru scratched his head. He didn't know anything about dating, after all. He remembered Yamato taking Sora to some amusement park or music concert, but he wanted to know if there was anything else that he could do. It was his first date ever, after all, and he wanted it to be special.

'Well, what do you have in mind?' Mimi crossed her arms and asked.

'I have thought of a few places…the amusement park, as it is a very big place; the newly open aquarium, since Hikari-san likes animals a lot; or we can just watch a movie and have dinner together. I'm just not sure if they are the right choices, so I want to hear a girl's opinion on that.' Takeru looked at Mimi hopefully. 'Are those places alright for a first date?'

Mimi could not help but smile warmly at the troubled boy. He clearly was trying his best to make this date special. It just showed how much he cared, she thought. She was glad that the same boy who had a general distaste for love and affection seemed to be slowly accepting these emotions. That the very same boy who cried and complained about many things in life would be this serious actually made her feel a bit lonely.

'The aquarium sounds good. In fact,' she paused thoughtfully and turned to the desk, grabbing something and handing them to Takeru, 'I got two tickets for free. Here, take them.'

Takeru widened his eyes in surprise. 'Really? I can take them? And you think it's a good choice for my first date?'

Mimi just had to laugh. 'You said Hikari-chan likes animals, right? Plus, all girls like cute creatures. I think it will be a great fit. I got these tickets from a sponsor, anyway. I have more, if you ever want some extra.'

'I think these will be fine,' Takeru grinned. Mimi's approval meant a lot to him. 'And also, what should I be aware of? Should I dress formally? Should I bring my bag with me? Should I –'

'Takeru,' Mimi cut him off and placed her hand on his shoulders, 'just be yourself. Hikari-chan is not expecting to date a James Bond tomorrow. It is you that she is dating.' She looked straight into his eyes, making sure he got what she just said. 'Just act like your usual self. Dress nice, of course, but don't stress yourself out. You'll be fine.'

Takeru stared at her with a determined look, and flashed her a veracious smile. 'Thank you, Mimi-san.' He rose from his seat. 'I should text Hikari-san about it, then. I hope she'll like it.'

'She will,' Mimi grinned and escorted Takeru out of the room. After seeing him off, she returned to her seat, glanced at the spot where Takeru was sitting, and sighed happily. She felt like she had just witnessed his rapid growth. Some months ago he was still the cynical punk who showed no interest in the opposite sex, and now he was acting flurry over his first date. How cute was that!

'Mimi-chan, it's your turn now.'

'Okay!' The sixteen-year-old cheerfully responded to Yoshie's call and bounced out of the room. She felt incredibly motivated now. This advertisement job would be a piece of cake.

* * *

She needed more clothes.

That was Hikari's only thought after trying out different combinations of clothes from her wardrobe. She had never been a particularly fashionable person, and she only bought clothes when her old ones were worn out. Miyako had given up on convincing her that a wardrobe should be a girl's best friend, after countless attempts to get her to buy 'better' clothes. Hikari never liked the idea of spending too much money on fashion. It was just a dress, she argued. Why did she have to pay so much more than it was worth?

In a situation like this, however, she wished she had listened to the lavender-haired girl for once. She sighed as she dropped yet another dress on her bed. It was just not the right one! She had to find the perfect dress before she went on a date with Takeru tomorrow. She could not afford to screw that up.

Thinking about the blond brought a shy smile to her face, and she put her palms on her flushed cheeks to feel the radiating heat. Her mind still played scenes from yesterday from time to time, and Taichi had wondered this morning if his sister had gone insane when she beamed and finished their mother's breakfast without complaining about its taste. She looked stupid, she knew that, but she just couldn't help it when she was overwhelmed with that much joy and excitement.

Still, now she faced the seemingly impossible task of finding the perfect dress for her date tomorrow. Takeru had sent her a text message an hour ago, asking if she wanted to go to the newly open aquarium together. She gladly agreed as she had wanted to go there for a while already. Her thrill vanished when she failed to locate the perfect dress after an hour of trying.

There were some clothes that she could use. There were this red shirt and white miniskirt that she really liked, and then there was that blue dress that looked casual enough without losing any elegance. But they just weren't _the_ dress. She had learnt from Miyako before, when she went on dates with boys, that a 'first impression' on first date was more important than anything. According to Miyako, a 'wow factor' was necessary, as boys had an attention span of a goldfish when it came to girls.

'_You need a good dress to keep his eyes on you, and you only. You don't want him to check out other girls when he's on a date with you, so you need the perfect dress to keep his eyes glued to your body.'_

Hikari wasn't sure that Takeru's constant staring would be a flattering idea, for that sounded incredibly creepy, but she thought it would be nice if that meant Takeru would pay more attention to her and think of her as a pretty girl.

She had thought of asking Miyako for help, since she had more experience in this department. However, she was too embarrassed to ask. Miyako would ask for more details and make sure she put on a dozen layers of make-up before she left her house. Besides, as much as she loved Miyako, she couldn't really trust her on keeping a secret like this. The lavender-haired girl wasn't known to be a famed gossiper for nothing. She didn't want to have their common friends bombard her with questions, despite their good will.

Her eyes kept searching through her wardrobe to see if she had missed anything. She had basically tossed everything from the closet to her bed, and she was trying to see if she could spot any lost gem. Her eyes landed on a pale yellow dress with lace hanging on the side, and she blinked.

That was it.

* * *

_12__th__ July, 2006_

Takeru had never felt that nervous in his life before.

Right now, he felt like jumping off a cliff to save a friend being trapped in an alternative world might be an easier task, as he made his way towards the entrance of the aquarium. He kept looking at the French windows on streets to take a good look at his own reflection, wondering if his outfit looked smart and suitable enough. After much consideration, he had put on a pale green, short sleeve shirt and a pair of slim fit black trousers, accompanied by a white belt and a pair of white shoes. He also put on his favourite white bucket hat so he did not have to spend time mixing his messy hair. He thought he looked fine, but he wasn't sure if this was a presentable outfit for a date. He had never been to one, after all. He only hoped Hikari wouldn't mind it that much. It wasn't like him to be that self-conscious usually, but he wanted to make a good impression. He checked his watch to make sure he was on time. Taking a deep breath, he crossed the road, and found himself staring at the giant entrance of the newly open aquarium.

It didn't take long for him to spot Hikari among the crowd, and he instantly stopped and stared. She was standing by the entrance, her fingers fidgeting with the tiny red handbag she was holding. She was wearing a pale yellow lace dress with cap sleeves, covering only part of her shoulders and exposing her thin arms in the air. The one-piece dress clung to her developing curve and was trimmed to show off her slim waist. It reached right before her knees so he could openly admire her milky legs. Under the sunshine, she looked so pure and glorious, like an angel that had descended from heaven.

'Che bella principessa.' _(What a beautiful princess.)_

That was the only thought he had as he scrutinized Hikari's full appearance. He wanted to ignore the world and just ran forward and hugged her tight, right there, right now. Some boys walking by were also staring at her with raised eyebrows, and that induced a restless feeling in his gut. Hikari was looking down at her red shoes so she did not notice the other boys' thoughtful glances or Takeru's presence, but when she raised her head to meet his gaze Takeru snapped out of his thoughts and walked timidly towards the girl.

'H–hi,' he choked on his words, too nervous to say anything as he was still blushing at the sight of her. Hikari looked at his face then at his outfit for a moment, then she lowered her head, her cheeks also flushing furiously. Truth to be told, she found his appearance refreshing and he looked really nice. With his good look, a better combination of clothes really made any girl on streets turn to stare at him with wooing eyes. She had expected him to dress more casually, as Miyako said it was only the girls who had to care about their clothes, but Takeru looked like he had spent some time figuring out what to wear too. Thinking that he did that just for her brought a small smile to her face.

'You…' Takeru started, but found it hard to finish his sentence without taking some more deep breaths. 'You look really…cute.' Takeru turned his head away in embarrassment.

Hikari's face looked like a fresh tomato now. She could only manage to give a timid nod in response, after some delayed minutes. _'You look really good too,'_ she signed when Takeru met her gaze again. The fourteen-year-old widened his eyes and unconsciously grinned for a second before his expression fell, as both now just stared at their shoes without knowing what to say next. The two of them just glanced randomly at everywhere while standing there. The atmosphere started to become tense, as neither looked willing to look into the other's eyes.

'Shall…shall we go now?' Takeru finally offered after some minutes of silence.

Hikari nodded in affirmation, and they made their way towards the entrance. Finding herself unable to stay calm due to severe nervousness, Hikari paced faster ahead of the blond. She didn't know what she was doing, really, but she felt so embarrassed standing next to him and just staring at random places. This was her first date ever! What was she supposed to do or act? Should she be bolder and take his hand, or wait for him to take hers? Should she walk closer to him? Maybe indeed she should have put on more make-up? All these questions, and not a single answer!

Her mind was a battlefield of thousand thoughts and she did not notice a sole rock on the road. Her shoe made contact with it and she felt her body falling under gravity. She widened her eyes and opened her mouth in surprise. Fortunately, she reacted in time to stretch her arms forward, or else the earth would have welcomed her with a heart-warming kiss on the face.

'Hikari-san!' Takeru yelled and quickly dashed to her side. All the while only one word was in his mind.

Pink.

He suppressed his blush and set his indecent thoughts aside when he ran to the girl's side. 'Are you okay, Hikari-san?' he asked, concerned. Hikari, feeling humiliated, could sense the shades of crimson taking over her face and she looked extremely embarrassed. The brown-haired girl shook her head hastily and gulped. The ground wasn't that rough so she only got minor scratches on her elbows and knees, nothing that she had to worry about. She also pulled down her dress out of instinct, her fingers fidgeting on the edge of her clothes. She glanced at Takeru diffidently while still sitting on the ground, as if asking_, 'Did you see anything?'_

Takeru had to prevent his capillaries from bursting at how adorable and defenceless she looked right now. That flushed cheeks, that timid glance, that pair of innocent round eyes, that kneeling position, the image of Hikari in her pink panties…he was suddenly, consciously uncomfortable with his own perverted thoughts. What the hell was he thinking at a time like this? His girlfriend needed him right now!

Okay, that was wrong in so many levels, he reckoned. Still, he offered his hand to pull her from the ground. After dusting her clothes, she apologized to Takeru, letting him know that she was ready to go. Yet, her frown reminded him that she was still waiting for his answer to her question. Blushing, he shifted his body so he could avoid her direct gaze. He shook his head weakly, hoping that Hikari would take that as an answer.

'We should get in, or we won't have much time to see everything.' He tried to change the topic, and fortunately Hikari did not press on the matter. He felt bad for lying, but he wondered admitting the truth would only serve to make their first date more awkward than ever. They started walking, and when they arrived at the entrance they noticed that a lot of people were standing there already. Glancing at his companion, Takeru offered his hand to her.

'Let's go,' he whispered and stared at his own white shoes, and Hikari found this state of his extremely cute and adorable. Forgetting her previous clumsy state, she clasped her hand with his and offered him a small smile in return. Thus, they officially began their first date as they walked inside the giant building.

* * *

The aquarium opened to public less than a month ago, and it had quickly established its reputation as one of the must-go sights in Odaiba. The city did not have many tourist attraction sites, but as one of Japan's largest aquariums the aquarium attracted many visitors over the past weeks. It was crowded mainly with children, who stared at the fish tanks in amazement and chatted enthusiastically about which fish looked the most delicious. However, it was also a nice site for couples to go, as it had a vast collection of cute animals, such as otters and penguins, so it was common for the girlfriends to squeal in joy while the boyfriends grumpily paid for the animal dolls that their partners wanted.

After entering the building, Takeru and Hikari checked the map to see which way they should go. After taking a quick glance at the number of visitors in each zone, they decided to visit the penguins first, much to Hikari's delight as penguins were one of her favourite animals.

Takeru couldn't help but laugh when Hikari's eyes glistered in excitement as she stared at the swimming penguins. She put her hands on the glass of the huge tank and was pleasantly surprised that a baby penguin was staring back at her as it was swimming. It glared back at her and quacked energetically a few times, bringing a huge grin to Hikari's face. The little creature must have brought out some maternal instinct from the girl, Takeru thought. Her eyes were glued to that baby penguin as it moved around, climbing onto the land and then jumping back into the water again, and he lost count of the number of pictures she had taken just for that adorable thing.

With much reluctance, Hikari walked away from the penguin zone, for Takeru had to remind her that there were a lot more to see in the aquarium. They walked through tunnels where they could see all different types of creatures living in a controlled ecosystem. They got to see the sharks, and Takeru had to comfort a slightly troubled Hikari when he casually commented on what a sight it would be if a shark started consuming small fishes in the tank. They also visited different crabs, seals and an exhibition on microorganisms in the deep water. The place was so crowded that they locked hands most of the time so they would not separate from each other, apart from the times when Hikari wanted to take some pictures of those lovely creatures, or when she forced Takeru to be part of the background.

She was taking pictures of some otters being fed when she turned and could not find Takeru by her side. A flush of visitors just entered the zone and she was immersed in the middle of the crowd. The brown-haired girl looked around hastily, trying to spot a twist of blond hair among the streams of people.

'_Takeru?'_ She wondered when she spotted someone with blond hair from the corner of her eyes, but her hopeful expression fell when she noticed it was someone else.

She began to panic and she felt sweats forming in her palms. While she was certain that Takeru was still around, somewhere, the sense of seclusion and uncertainty bothered her a lot. It didn't help that people around her kept moving while she tried to avoid being pushed away by them. She turned around and hoped to see Takeru bumping out of somewhere, with his trademark grin, saying how ridiculous she looked right now. Really, she wouldn't mind it if he was just playing a prank on her, but the longer he was absent the more helpless and suffocating she felt. The people around her kept on chatting loudly while she remained on her spot, and she felt staggeringly uncomfortable with all these noises around her. A cold chill ran through her spine when Takeru was still nowhere to be seen. She wanted to call out for him. She desperately needed him by her side.

The moment she opened her mouth to call out his name, she froze.

For a split second, she forgot that she could not speak. She had not been able to pronounce a word since she was eight, after that accident that changed her life. It was a fact that had lived with her for the past six years, and she didn't know why this very fact hurt her that much right now. She had come to accept her condition, so how was the present any different? Why did she have a feeling in her gut that she hated herself for how weak and helpless she was? Why did this sense of uselessness emerge so suddenly when Takeru was out of her sight? Blinking hard, she could feel hot tears forming on the corner of her eyes. She didn't really understand all of this, but she just felt like crying all of a sudden.

That feeling only subsided when someone grabbed her wrist with much force, and her body jerked in response.

'There you are,' Takeru panted as he pulled her to his side, making sure that other incoming visitors would not block their way. 'I was wondering where you were when I lost you. Have you been taking pictures again? I thought you were following me to the east wing…Hikari-san?' Takeru stopped talking when he saw the expression on her face. She was staring at him with wide, teary eyes. 'Hikari-san? What happened?'

Hikari kept staring at him with teary eyes for a moment before leaning forward to rest her head on his shoulder, hugging him in the process. Takeru, confused at her sudden contact, put an arm on her shoulder and brought her to an empty bench nearby and told her to sit down.

'What's wrong, Hikari-san? Did something happen? Did…did I do something wrong?' Takeru's mind was quickly contemplating many different, possible scenarios that could have taken place, but Hikari just shook her head and didn't look like she was going to tell him what happened. So he stayed quiet as well, comforting her by letting her rest on his shoulder and patting her back occasionally, keeping her close to his body.

They stayed in that position for about five minutes before Hikari broke from their contact and smiled apologetically at him. _'Sorry about that, Takeru-kun,'_ she gestured. When she didn't further explain what had happened, Takeru frowned.

'What's wrong?' He asked in a concerned tone, but Hikari just shook her head.

'_It's nothing.' _She reassured him, though he was not convinced at all. Still, when Hikari rose from the seat and nodded to the exit of the zone, asking if he wanted to continue visiting, he decided to drop the topic. Whatever Hikari had in mind, she would tell him if she wanted to, and he would not force her. With that in mind, they continued to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring different parts of the gigantic aquarium.

* * *

The two walked in silence, but Hikari did not look too happy as she walked ahead of the boy. Takeru sighed, wondering what the best way to change her mood was.

It was nine o'clock at night, and they had just finished dinner in a decent restaurant that Takeru found near the aquarium. It was pricier than the fast food chains that teenagers frequented, and Takeru insisted on paying for the meal. Hikari firmly rejected his idea, demanding she had to pay for her share since Takeru already paid for the tickets to the aquarium. After battling on the payment for some time while the waiter stood with crossed arms, Takeru reluctantly agreed that they would split the bill. However, just as Hikari retreated her hand from placing the money, Takeru quickly grabbed her amount and replaced it with his money and sent the waiter away. Hikari was so angry that she ignored all of Takeru's attempts to talk to her afterwards.

The blond just thought that he should pay for everything on the first date. He was a guy, after all. Shouldn't the guy be paying for everything? That was what he saw in television dramas, and what he assumed was the norm. He knew this was what Yamato did on his first date with Sora, but then, his brother always was better at dealing with the opposite sex than he was. He thought he was just doing what every guy would do in such situation. He didn't know the ever complaisant Hikari would be that mad about it.

They were approaching the apartment building where Hikari lived, and she did not look like she was slowing down to wait for him. Takeru gulped.

'Hikari-san,' he started, dashing forward and grabbing her wrist. The brown-haired girl finally stopped and turned to look at him with an unreadable expression.

'I'm sorry.' Takeru lowered his head, not wanting to confront her angry and accusing glance. 'I shouldn't have done that. I thought I should, but I shouldn't have. I…I'm sorry.' He didn't really know what else to say, really. He felt horrible for not thinking about her feeling, and just thinking of doing what he assumed was the right thing without taking her opinion into consideration. Her silent treatment reminded him that she was an independent girl, who did not want others to treat her differently. 'I won't do that again. I promise.' He raised his head this time to look into her redwood-coloured eyes, hoping she would know how serious he was.

Hikari studied the blond's countenance. She could tell that he meant it, with determination glistering in his ocean blue eyes. It made her feel guilty, in a way, for ignoring him like that. She wasn't really mad at him, but she wanted to make her point clear. She knew others were always trying to humour her, whether it was because she was a girl or because she could not speak. She understood that they meant well, but sometimes it made her feel bad, as if she was inferior and fragile that she could not stand up for herself.

'Could you forgive me?'

Takeru sounded like he was begging now, and she instantly felt really, really bad. She signed in a resigned manner, putting her hand on his elbow and squeezing it tenderly, and nodded. That brought a smile back to Takeru's face.

'Next time, I'll just pay before you even notice.'

Hikari widened her eyes disbelievingly. When she saw Takeru burst into laughter, she slapped his shoulder playfully and pouted, but she also failed to stop the corners of her lips from rising.

'So, am I forgiven?' He smirked, and Hikari seriously considered slapping his face this time, if just to wipe that annoyingly cute smirk off his face. However, her mind quickly formulated a different plan. She put her hands on his cheeks and brought his face closer. The blond was taken aback, and stared at her for a minute. Takeru blushed at her bold action, and closed his eyes in preparation for the kiss. Hence, he failed to see the wicked grin forming on Hikari's face. The brown-haired girl let go of her grasp, pulled his lower lip, and then released it, causing it to bounce back to its original position with a clear 'pop' sound. Takeru opened his eyes just in time to see her giggling wildly as she turned her back and ran away.

'Hey! Not fair!' He cried and chased after her, but Hikari did not wait for him this time. The last moment of their first date turned into a chasing game as Hikari took the stairs with Takeru following suit. They finally stopped after climbing six floors of stair steps. Both were panting really hard when they reached her apartment door, but both were also laughing without a care at the same time.

'Gotcha,' Takeru breathed as he grabbed Hikari's shoulder and turned her around to face him. She was blushing from the running, and her colour only intensified as their eyes met again. They each tried to explore what was behind the other's eyes, and they only unwillingly blinked when their eyes felt tried. Slowly, Takeru leaned forward and captured her lips. Hikari felt her legs weaken further at the intimate contact, and she grabbed his shirt to avoid falling onto the ground. Takeru continued kissing her for some more seconds before letting her go, leaving an even more flushed Hikari standing there.

'That is for making me run all of a sudden,' he grinned mischievously as Hikari smacked him on the shoulder again. The two just looked at each other and laughed at how messy they looked right now, before Hikari tidied herself as she was ready to enter her apartment.

'I'll text you later,' Takeru said, but before he left Hikari grabbed his shirt again and swiftly pressed a soft kiss on his left cheek.

'_Thank you for the day,' _she mouthed, still blushing. _'I really enjoyed it.'_

'I enjoyed it too.' At that moment, Takeru forgot about Hikari's distressed moment at the aquarium and her silent treatment at the end of the day. All he could remember was how much he enjoyed spending time with his girlfriend. Flushing at her initiative, he waved timidly as he walked inside the elevator and disappeared from Hikari's eyesight. All the while, he was holding his left cheek with a cuddly blush.

Hikari turned away after Takeru left, and entered her apartment with a grin on her face. She really meant it when she said she enjoyed the date. While there were moments that she doubted herself, she still found the whole experience refreshing and exciting, and she couldn't wait to go on another date with him again.

* * *

_End of Chapter 12_

* * *

I know I didn't go into too many details about the date, and the ending is a bit rushed, but I merely hope to use this chapter as a prelude to the next one. There will be more fluffy stuff in later chapters, so please be patient!

I know I promised to write more of Hikari's past, but as I got to the Takari romance moment it's hard to insert the details without interrupting the flow, so I reckoned why not an interlude chapter and let Taichi tell the story? It will be Taichi's perspective on Hikari's accident and everything since then. I hope that will clarify questions that people have regarding Hikari's condition so far. I also have an idea of what the interlude chapter after will be, and it will likely involve Hikari and a character that is yet to make an official appearance in this story.

Please kindly leave a review to let me know what you think! Thank you for reading and see you next time!


	15. Chapter 13: Subterranean Homesick Alien

Before I got into my chapter notes, I just want to say something first. Recently I noticed that there are some stories listed under Takari that contain much character/pairing bashing, particularly on Daisuke/Daikari. As a devout Takari fan I don't think I'll write a Daisuke-bashing fic or depict him as a complete idiot who is irrational and extremely dumb. We Takari lovers can keep on writing/reading Takari fics, and Daikari lovers can do their own. We don't have to be at war with each other. Fanfiction is not supposed to spread hate. I love this place a lot, and I hate to see bashing fics. Can't we just respect each other?

So that's my shout-out to all fellow writers and readers. Now, back to '_Comfortable Silence'_.

I have some conflicting feeling over this chapter, and I don't know what its reception will be like. The chapter title is Radiohead's _Subterranean Homesick Alien_, taken from the legendary album _OK Computer_. Regarding the spelling of Kido Jyou/Jou (or 'Joe' in American dub version), I was told that the spelling could go both ways in Japanese. I opt for 'Jyou' because it looks better to me.

A little bit of promotion time here: I'm currently following closely the stories of two fellow ffnet writers in this fandom: _AmiraStarr's __**"A Fork in the Road",**_ and _Kal-El Fornia's __**"A Home at the End of the Street"**_**.** They contain Takari elements too, though it's not the focus of their stories. Still, they are really well-written, and if anyone wants something new to read, you should definitely check out their stories.

As always, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

* * *

_Chapter 13: Subterranean Homesick Alien_

* * *

_16__th__ July 2006_

To almost everyone who knew him, Kido Jyou was not someone who liked to 'have fun' or 'go crazy' like any teenagers of his age did. Excelling in all subjects during his primary and secondary education and being accepted as a medical student in University of Tokyo, he seldom made attempts to break others' stereotype of him as the perfect bookworm. Everyone assumed that the model student of Japan's most prestigious university would spend his time dwelling in books and documentaries about medicine. When other teenagers spent their summer travelling with friends or taking a rest, he decided to intern at his father's clinic to prepare himself to be a better doctor in the future. Always the reliable son and doctor-to-be.

So if one was ever to spot him spending hours in a local arcade, with none other than the football fanatic Yagami Taichi, one would wonder if a new pair of glasses was necessary.

'Gosh, how did you even do that?' Taichi whined as the screen showed he lost again. He put down the plastic gun connected to the console and stamped his foot in frustration. Jyou merely smirked.

'Practice makes perfect, Taichi. I thought I always told you that?'

'And to think I lost to a medicine nerd who wonders why soldiers in games can continue fighting without getting an infection from all those wounds…' Taichi grumbled, clearly still agonized about his defeat. Jyou, having used to Taichi's insult since a young age, just chuckled at his friend's childishness.

'You know that I play this game a lot. It's like an operation. Every move has to be calculated. Every cut should be precise. A wrong cut, and you lose. That's why I won, since I don't' want to lose. Of course, I'm not saying treating patient is a game, but the concept is similar.'

'…that's a very weird way of describing killing virtual people...'

Taichi often questioned Jyou's sanity, seeing that the same person who, as a child, fainted at the sight of his own blood due to a paper cut aspired to be a doctor. In fact, the brown-haired brunet sometimes wondered how he ever became friends with the blue-haired young adult. They were polar opposites in many aspects; he breathed football, and Jyou was never into sports; he was loud and stubborn, while Jyou was quiet and as meek as a lamb (unless you challenged him to an arcade game, Taichi noted, then he would magically transform into a fearsome dragon); he couldn't care less about getting dirty and could spend his afternoon running in mud, while Jyou was a neat freak and often worried about getting an infection from entering a public swimming pool. Even though their parents were long-time friends, that did not entail the two of them had to be good friends too, right? But somehow things worked out fine for them. He always enjoyed Jyou's company, even though half of the time he had no idea what he was talking about. It only got worse when Izumi Koushiro, another childhood friend of theirs, was present. The combo of Jyou and Koushiro and their discussion on advanced technology, with concrete terms that sounded like Medieval Latin to his ears, could make Taichi lose his mind very easily.

'How's Hikari-chan doing?'

If Taichi had to pinpoint one single thing they had in common, it would be their concern for young Hikari. With old man Kido being Hikari's doctor, Jyou frequently saw the young girl at the family clinic. Whenever Taichi was away from home, due to football training or school trips, he could always entrust his little sister to the blue-haired medicine student, who treated Hikari like his own sister.

'She's fine. Been going out a lot lately. She seems to have met some really good friends at school. She's very happy these days,' Taichi replied with a shrug while standing behind the racing game they were going to play next. The guy playing still had some laps left.

'That's good,' Jyou said, his eyes fixated on the screen. 'Otou-san's been looking into some new methods on curing muteness.'

'Oh yeah?'

Normally, Taichi would be excited to learn about any treatment for his sister. However, he knew very well that there were various practical concerns. Over the past six years that Hikari had been mute, Kido Yuuto had tried to find various possible treatments for her. While there were treatments that could work, they were incredibly expensive, and not always available in Japan. Taichi had been disappointed many times that Hikari could not undergo a feasible treatment because of financial concern, and while he was grateful of Kido Yuuto's effort, he had learnt not to have high hope. With great hope only came great disappointment.

'Don't sound so dejected right away,' Jyou continued. 'He has been talking to a doctor friend that he has connection with, and this time it might be an affordable price.'

Taichi turned to face his friend, his eyes glistering in an instant. 'How much?'

'At least half of any treatment otou-san has mentioned in the past.'

That was a significant reduction of amount. It actually might be something that his family could afford!

'Don't mention this to your family yet. Otou-san is still trying to figure out when the doctor will be able to come to Japan to perform that operation and how much exactly the fee is, but he says that this time, Hikari-chan may be able to make it.'

Taichi's face was now glowing with radiance as the news sank in. A wide grin spread across his face and he threw his arms around Jyou, hugging the young adult tightly and spinning him around in joy. 'Ta–Taichi! People are looking!' Jyou panicked, but Taichi didn't care. His sister finally had a chance to be cured! After all these years of fruitless waiting, there was finally something to look forward to!

'Just don't tell anyone yet,' Jyou reminded the overly joyous brunet. 'Otou-san is still working on it, but if everything goes well it could be a good birthday surprise for Hikari-chan.'

Ah, right. Hikari's birthday is in a month and a half. If all went well, that would indeed be the best birthday present for the brown-haired girl.

'My lips are sealed, Jyou,' Taichi broke from his embrace and grinned brightly at Jyou. 'Now c'mon, I still need to beat you in this race!'

* * *

To Hikari, the past week felt like riding on a roller coaster on an exponential curve. Within a span of seven days, she had received her first kiss, got herself a boyfriend, and was now on her third date in five days. It was hard to believe that all such events could take place in such short period of time.

Her second date with Takeru was two days ago. They decided to go to the cinema and watched a romantic comedy. She liked the film a lot, but probably not as much as she enjoyed holding hands with him in the cinema. Being in the dark and laughing at the wide silver screen did manage to somewhat ease her tense mood. Even though it was not their first time to hold hands in public, she still felt nervous every time their fingers intertwined. Her heart would beat like crazy whenever she felt the warmth of his skin brushing against hers.

Still, it didn't mean the day went without upsetting her by any means.

_They were standing on the queue, waiting for their turn to purchase tickets, when Takeru's mother called and he excused himself to answer the phone. It didn't take long for Hikari to find herself standing in front of the ticket counter, where the ticket vendor waited for her impatiently to order her tickets. _

'_Which movie do you want, miss?' The man raised his voice to make sure Hikari heard him. The brown-haired girl flinched and turned to see Takeru still talking on the phone. Gulping, she pointed at the name of the movie under the list of 'now showing' on the counter. _

'_Just one ticket?' The man asked in a dull tone. Hikari shook her head and raised two fingers. The man gave her an odd look and grumbled under his breath, mainly talking to himself, but Hikari could clearly hear him say things like 'dumb girl', 'troublesome', and 'wasting my time'. A sense of despair and worthlessness suddenly overwhelmed her. She frowned and felt her heart sank, biting her lips in the process to hold back her tears, but she proceeded on choosing the seats and paying for the tickets with a forced smile. She quickly walked away from the counter after she received the tickets and let out a long breath that she had been holding. Takeru was just done with his phone call by then._

'_Sorry about that. Okaa-san just asked me to buy something on my way home later,' Takeru explained, and he noticed Hikari holding the tickets in her hand. The fourteen-year-old girl shifted her face to hide her hurt expression from her encounter just now. 'You got the tickets already? Let me pay you back my share.' Hikari nodded, as they had agreed that they would split everything, after their first date together. Putting up the best poker face she got, she let Takeru lead the way into the cinema. _

It was good that the movie managed to lift up her spirit, but the encounter with the ticket vendor lingered on her mind for the rest of the day. She had been mocked by strangers in the past for her muteness before, but during those times she only had to worry about herself. Now that she was with another person, someone whom she cherished, she had become a lot more self-conscious of her surroundings and people's comments. When she was walking down the street, she could feel people's glances on her, as if questioning why she, a mute girl with no special quality and distinctive features, would be with a boy who was so bright and wonderful. Takeru never complained about her apparent silence on their dates, and that only made her feel worse. She wondered if he looked so happy just to hide how frustrated he felt about going on dates with her. After all, who would like to go on dates with someone who could only communicate via hand-writing or sign language? Any person would feel annoyed and frustrated by it, she was sure.

As she was now sitting silently with Takeru in a restaurant, waiting for their meals to come, she couldn't help but contemplate on the fact that the past week just seemed too wonderful to be true. Sure, they had hugged and kissed on their dates, and she did have a great time, but she couldn't get rid of the possibility of Takeru just making fun of her all along. He had never even said he liked her.

Yes, he had kissed her and held her hand, and action usually spoke louder than words, but that didn't really mean anything, right? What if the blond actually regretted the kiss they shared on the evening of the School Festival, and was only acting out of obligation now? Wouldn't that explain why he looked so troubled and distressed now? She felt a knot of guilt in her gut when she saw Takeru shifting in his position uncomfortably, a gesture that he unconsciously made whenever they succumbed to silence. Either they were just too shy and afraid to do anything to break the silence, or they were still uncertain if this – dating each other – was the right thing to do. She was inclined to believe it was the latter.

When they ate together, she would take out her sketchbook and write on it to communicate with the blond, just like she usually did at school. It wasn't that big of a problem before, as Takeru, Ken and Daisuke were always patient and never urged her to write faster. However, doing that in public was a different story. She knew Takeru would throw dirty glances at people who sent her odd looks, and she was grateful of his action, but the very fact that she was the one causing such unnecessary trouble for him made her clench her jaws. A date was supposed to be fun and filled with sincere laughter, with the two engaging in delightful conversation about what they loved. At least, that was what she imagined would be. Sitting quietly and gawking awkwardly at each other were certainly not what a date should be like.

Takeru's forced smile was a critical signal for her. Everything just seemed too good to be true, and that frightened her. When she looked at it from a different angle, everything seemed to be wrong, and she was the root of all problems.

That conclusion made her feel like crying.

* * *

'I'm bored.'

The setting sun was replaced by the round moon in the sky. A girl with long, black hair moaned as she was walking down the street with her friends.

'Shut up, Saki. You've been saying that for quite some time already,' replied a girl walking next to her. She flipped her short blue hair as she played with her hair clip nonchalantly.

'We need something to entertain ourselves,' Saki declared, stretching her arms and ceased walking when one of her friends was not following her. 'Yui? What's wrong?'

The girl named Yui turned to face the tall girl and grinned. 'You said you wanted something fun?' She pointed her finger at a restaurant's transparent full height glass panel. The girls looked at what her finger was pointing at, and they widened their eyes at the sight.

Sitting inside the restaurant was none other than the famous Takaishi Takeru, but he was not alone. Sitting opposite to him was a brown-haired girl with redwood-coloured eyes that they knew too well. Saki gritted her teeth as she watched a waitress taking their orders. 'Damn that bitch. She really hasn't learnt anything.'

'Well, Takaishi-kun did warn us about talking to her, remember?' Naoko's words brought back some unpleasant memories to the three girls. On that rainy day in early June, the basketball team captain confronted the three girls after school, and warned them menacingly about hurting Yagami Hikari by any means.

_Saki's protest at his words went unnoticed when Takeru slammed the locker door behind him, startling the three girls. It wasn't like him to be mean to girls, but he didn't care at that moment. He knew they hurt his friend. How exactly, he didn't know, and he wasn't bothered by the exact details. All he knew was he had to make sure that wouldn't happen again._

'_I don't know what you three have told Hikari-san,' Takeru hissed dangerously, causing the trio to flinch as he glared at them with much hatred in his eyes, 'and I don't want to repeat myself: Hikari-san is my friend, and she is also a friend of Ken and Daisuke. The four of us are friends, and none of you have any right to intervene in our friendship. Do you understand?'_

'_But we ju–'_

'Do I make myself clear?'_ Takeru rudely interjected and slammed his fist at the locker again. He was pretty sure if they were boys, he would have just thrown punches at them directly. Testing the limit of his patience was not a good thing to do right now, the female trio quickly realized. They instantly nodded, mostly out of fear, as they had not seen Takaishi Takeru acted like that before. Takeru gave them one last stare before leaving them behind, their legs shaking in panic._

'Well, I have a plan that can make the oh-so-lovely Yagami-chan suffer,' Yui smirked. The two girls looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate on what she was scheming. After Yui explained her plan, they, too, had a cunning smirk on their faces.

'Call Mayumi,' Saki sneered. 'Let's see if our dear Yagami-chan enjoys the rain too.'

* * *

'Hikari-san, are you alright?'

Takeru's concerned voice snapped Hikari out of her thoughts as she found a pair of bright, ocean blue eyes staring at her. She had been so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice her boyfriend calling her and waving his hand in front of her eyes. Shaking her head, she forced a smile that didn't really convince the boy, but he dropped the topic nevertheless. He never liked to force people to talk about their problems when they didn't want to. Even though technically, as her boyfriend, he felt like he had a right to know, he still wanted to give Hikari some personal space. It wasn't like she had to explain everything she did to him, anyway. He believed that she would tell him when she wanted to.

It was the aftermath, the silence following the end of a brief exchange, that terrified him. He had never been a particularly talkative person, but he knew he had the responsibility to speak up when his companion, to put it bluntly, could not talk at all. He frowned at that thought. He didn't want to treat Hikari like a fragile, sensitive person, but he couldn't help but feel that way sometimes. He had to restrain himself from showing too much care in fear of scaring her away or offending her by any means. He knew she was a strong individual, and he was at loss at what to do sometimes, given her condition. Should he be more proactive or should he just be his usual self? He didn't get why such a dilemma existed. He thought everything would be fine after following Yamato's advice of seizing the moment, but he felt like an idiot now for not thinking thoroughly about the whole deal.

He sighed. He did not like this. He knew this was just making the situation worse. He could do all the thinking he wanted when he returned home. Right now, he just needed to mollify the awkward situation.

He was about to say something when a yell escaped his throat instead. Startled, Hikari blinked and found her pink, strapless dress soaked with liquid. Water droplets were dripping from the edge of her dress. A teenage girl with long red hair was standing next to her, and she was frantically apologizing for slipping and accidentally pouring the glass of water on her body.

'I'm so sorry about this!' The girl grabbed some napkins and tried to help Hikari dry her drenched dress, but clearly a few napkins were not going to help. 'We should go to the bathroom to take care of this,' said the girl, and she motioned for Hikari to follow her. Hikari cast an apologetic nod to her boyfriend, who was visibly worried. He nodded in return, telling her to take her time. Hikari gave a meek smile as she followed the girl into the bathroom.

She certainly did not expect seeing three other occupants standing with their arms crossed inside the girl's bathroom as she entered, standing face-to-face with none other than Matsumoto Saki, Nakamura Naoko, and Sakai Yui. The teenage girl who guided Hikari to the bathroom released her tender grip on Hikari's arm, dropped her concerned look and smirked. 'We finally meet, Yagami Hikari-chan.'

Hikari did not even have time to comprehend the situation when Naoko put a sign that said 'Closed for Cleaning' on the doorknob, and locked the bathroom entrance door from the inside. Hikari suddenly felt very nostalgic about this situation – her being in a cold, solid environment with these girls – and she had a bad feeling about this. (*)

'Oh, where is my manner? I haven't introduced myself yet!' The red-haired girl laughed casually and flipped her long hair behind her ears. She placed her hands on her waist and leaned forward, almost shoving her perky breasts into Hikari's face. Her glistering eyes and mocking tone showed clearly how much she enjoyed Hikari's terrified state right now.

'Oshiro Mayumi, an ally of justice. I'm a year older than you, so please address me with a respectful manner when you call me.'

'Well, can she even say your name, Oshiro-_senpai_?' Hikari flinched at Saki's sneer and intuitively backed from the approaching girl, but she found her back touching the cold, chilly wall. She widened her eyes in horror when Saki moved her hands to grasp her chin.

'Don't ignore me, dear Yagami-chan,' said the dark-haired girl, glaring at the mute girl with a mischievous smile. Her fingers stroked her face then moved to linger on the thin fabric of her pink dress, crossing her breasts and stomach. Her hand paused on the edge of her dress. Hikari shivered in fear, not understanding what the girl was up to.

'I believe you can start by explaining why you're here with Takaishi-kun tonight, huh?' Naoko added, crossing her arms. 'Are you two going on a date?'

Her flushed cheeks seemed to confirm their suspicion when she neither nodded nor shook her head. Hikari just alternated between looking at them and at the floor, and at Saki's hand that was on her waist. She could vaguely hear the giggle of Yui and Mayumi who were holding their stomachs, but the advancing figure of Saki made her widen her eyes in fear.

'But who are we kidding? Who would want to go on a date with an ugly girl like you?' Saki pressed harder. She leaned closer and hissed into Hikari's ears, 'Have you forgotten what we told you last time? We told you not to mess with the golden trio, you little slut, and you'll have to pay for not listening to us.'

'It's not nice to stay quiet when someone is talking to you, Hikari-chan,' Mayumi's mocking tone reached Hikari's ears again as she stepped closer to the girl. 'Aren't you the oh-so-perfect princess that makes the golden trio dance in your palm?'

Hikari did not even have time to respond to that, as a hard slap sent her to the ground. She held her cheek and stared at Saki in disbelief. She didn't expect that.

'Don't think we're even done yet,' Yui popped into her view and grinned wickedly. She was holding a bucket in her hand, and the moment Hikari saw it Yui threw the content of the bucket at her. The next second, Hikari found herself covered in sauces from leftover food of the restaurant. They smelt, and Hikari shrieked. She tried to stand up, but Naoko raised her leg to trip her, and she fell on the ground on all fours.

'Oh, I'm sorry. My hand slipped,' Yui raised her voice mockingly as Hikari opened her mouth, totally shocked. She wanted to scream as her body was shivering from the cold and smelly content being sprayed on her. Tears were streaming down her face when she took a glance at the mirror and saw how pathetic she looked right now. The roar of laughter of the girls echoed in the room, and she just wanted to get out of there.

'Yes! Cry for help, Yagami-chan! Cry for it!' Saki yelled, clearly over the moon at the brown-haired girl's despaired state. Hikari tried to get up again as she continued sobbing, but her attempt, once again, failed. Mayumi grabbed a hose and turned it on, splashing cold water at the junior high girl's face.

'Don't you need some clean-up? Let me be a good senpai and help you with that,' Mayumi snickered delightedly. 'You can just ask us to stop, you know. I can't hear you if you're not loud enough.'

Hikari struggled to get up, as she kept losing her balance due to how wet the ground was. Her clothes were totally drenched right now, and so was her hair. The cold water mixed with her tears on her face as she shut her eyes, her arms moving in the air to block the water from hitting her face. When the hose was finally turned off, she was soaked from head to toe, her body shivering from the cold and the humiliation. Her pink dress also turned semi-transparent, showing the outline of her bra and bare skin beneath the thin cloth.

'Look how beautiful you are now, Yagami-chan!' Naoko scoffed as Hikari curled her body into a foetus position, her arms holding her knees protectively as she soundlessly sobbed. 'This is for not listening to us before. We have told you that a smart and handsome person like Takaishi-kun will never like your kind.' Then, without warning, she pulled Hikari's hair and forced her to face the mirror. 'Look at yourself! You can't even defend yourself or ask us to stop! You're just a needy, useless, worthless girl who does not deserve the prince!'

'You better listen to them, Hikari-chan,' Mayumi folded her arms and watched in amusement, enjoying the sight in front of her. 'They're my most loyal friends, and I can't say for sure what they will do if you disobey them. Besides, look at you. Do you really think Takaishi is into a filthy, ugly girl like you? Don't misinterpret pitiful kindness as affection, my dear.'

Hikari mouthed some words of protest that only caused the four girls to keep making fun of her. She tried to avoid staring at her own reflection, but Mayumi's words stabbed her right in the heart. Her watery eyes already prevented her from seeing much, but she felt a drag on the back and she was thrown to the door.

'One word about this to anyone, and you're dead, Yagami-chan,' Saki leaned forward and hissed before slapping the mute girl in the face again. 'Use your little brain to think what is best for your own good. Don't make us repeat ourselves again.'

Seeing that she was right by the door, Hikari did not hesitate in taking the exit. Ignoring the ongoing jeers and laughter from the girls, and how disreputable she looked right now, she dashed for the exit without looking back. Tears kept flowing down her cheeks as she did not spare a second in running away from the scene. She ran past people who looked at her with curious glances, or Takeru, who was shocked to find her in such a state. Their eyes met for a split of second, and Hikari did not dare to look into his concerned eyes anymore. Her legs did not stop moving and she let them take her away from this place without sparing a glance back at the stunned fourteen-year-old.

Takeru had been waiting patiently for the past ten minutes for Hikari to return. He knew that girls generally took time in tidying themselves, so he kept his composure and waited for her. It also gave him some time to think about his actions again. What should he say when Hikari came back? Should he try to lighten the mood by cracking a joke about the situation? Would that be inappropriate? If not, then, what should he say? Their food had come already, so maybe he could just smile and they could eat in silence. Would that be awkward, still? He let out a long sigh. He didn't understand how dating worked. Maybe he should ask Mimi for more help later…

All his plans were brutally tossed out of the window when Hikari barged out of the bathroom. It didn't take a genius to see there was something wrong: her whole body was wet, the fabric of her clothes clung to her skin clearly, and her eyes were redder than usual, like she had been crying. Takeru's lips parted but no sound came out. He was shocked by this scene. For less than a second Hikari raised her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes showed much pain and distress that Takeru felt his heart ache. Still, the brown-haired girl did not stop running, and it was only after she had left the restaurant, amidst people's murmurs and glances, that Takeru was able to react to this and jumped from his seat.

'Hikari-san!' He yelled, and was about to chase after her before he felt someone pulling his shoulder. 'What?' he turned to find a middle-aged waiter holding him.

'You haven't paid yet,' the man merely stated, his voice indifferent to the situation.

'But my girlfriend just ran out of the restaurant, with her clothes all wet!' Takeru did not mean to be rude, but he couldn't care less about proper etiquette now when Hikari just acted so drastically.

'You haven't paid yet,' the waiter repeated his words in a bored tone, like a wise man who had been through a lot and was not at all surprised by the turn of the event.

Takeru groaned and grabbed some coins from his wallet and threw them at the waiter. Not caring about the change, he rushed out of the restaurant and stood in the middle of the street, trying to see if he could spot the sight of the mute girl. He knew something had gone wrong, very wrong, and he wanted to make sure she was alright.

Looking around aimlessly, he did not see her. Cursing under his breath, he randomly picked one side of the street and ran all the way down. Yelling her name and ignoring the frowns people directed at him, he stopped moving his legs after running down five long blocks without spotting his girlfriend.

He leaned on the gate of a closed store and caught his breath, his mind still trying to figure out what was wrong. Did something happen in the bathroom? But what could have happened there? She was just in there cleaning her clothes. Speaking of which, where was the girl that spilt water on Hikari's shirt and walked her to the bathroom? He hadn't seen her afterwards, although he was aware he had not been keeping his eyes in the direction of the bathroom for the whole ten minutes that Hikari was gone. Still, did they get into an argument? But how could that be? They didn't even know each other!

Frustrated, he took out his phone and sent a text message to her. _'What happened, Hikari-san? Are you alright?'_ After a minute of not receiving any response, he sent another message. _'Hikari-san, did I do something wrong? If yes I can explain, but please let me know you are okay now.' _After another minute of receiving no response, he typed on his phone's keyboard again. _'Hikari-san…please talk to me. I am really worried now.'_

For the next fifteen minutes, Takeru kept sending text messages to Hikari, and had even tried to call her directly, but she never picked up the phone. Meanwhile, he wondered if she had returned home, so he decided to walk to her apartment building. It was only a twenty-minute walk from here, so he took his time walking there to catch his breath while checking his phone from time to time. He had a bad feeling about this, but he couldn't do anything when he didn't even know what had gone wrong.

His phone vibrated when he was in the park near Hikari's apartment building. The screen showed the sender name as _'Yagami Hikari'_, and Takeru quickly opened her message. However, the content was not what he expected. He ceased walking as he stared at the screen. He blinked a few times disbelievingly, his lips parting unconsciously in shock. He read the lines a few more times to see if his eyes had deceived him. They had not. Slowly, he sank to his knees, but he could not even feel the rocky surface. His mind was too occupied by the content of the message that he shut off the world around him.

The night sky was cloudless and windless, and the park was filled with nothing but the sound of insects screeching in the trees and the bushes. Takeru remained kneeling on the same spot, his eyes never leaving the screen of his phone displaying Hikari's message of breaking up with him.

* * *

_End of Chapter 13_

* * *

* If you want to recap this moment, kindly turn to _Chapter 4: Give me Novacaine_.

* * *

This is likely the most dramatic chapter of the story so far. I don't know if I overdid it, but I do intend for them to break up shortly after being together. It was what I had in mind when I started writing this story, and it would have important reference in the future.

If all goes well, next chapter will officially introduce Koushiro, and by chance I've explored a lot about a character's past that I didn't expect. There will still be Takari fluff in the future!

Reviews are deeply appreciated! Thanks for sticking to the story and please let me know what you think!

P.S. Any _Shingeki no Kyojin_ ('Attack on Titan') fan here? I've been thinking about writing an ArminXKrista story just for fun, and am wondering what you guys think about it. It's an unusual pairing, but I have a soft spot for blond(e) and I find them incredibly cute, even though I ship ArminxAnnie more.


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